How did a former office messenger become one of Uganda’s youngest CEOs?
Kintu Rashid Elias who today prides in breaking the barriers which limit young unemployed graduates from achieving their professional dreams shares his secrets of how he turned his starting capital of UGX. 5 million into UGX. 500 million and an investment in commercial cleaning services.
“Even with a degree in Public Administration, I had failed to secure a job so when I heard that there was an opening to apply for an office messenger placement at HAM Enterprises, I applied and I got it”.
Kintu 36, since his graduation in 2008 had endured the perils of job hunting amidst a temporary placement to manage a Nkumba student’s Hostel in Entebbe which didn’t yield much to cater to his needs.
While today he is the CEO of 7 Star Cleaning Services and Pestcom Solutions Limited one of the leading commercial Cleaning Service companies in Uganda, Kintu had lost hope ten years before with no suitable employment until the position of office messenger arrived sounding like a bone whistle to a hungry dog.
“I did not hesitate. I knew what office messengers did. I was ready to do it. I would respond to all office needs, run errands around town, make several purchases and at times ordered to close shops in downtown Kampala at the end of the business working hours”, Kintu recalls.
He admits that while many young people today aspire to achieve financial success quickly and despise such jobs, “it’s essential to recognize the value of gaining experience through entry-level jobs as they provide valuable skills and insights that contribute to long-term success”.
Kintu’s work ethic which exuded honesty and loyalty to his boss yielded fruits elevating him to personal driver and secretary renowned entrepreneur Ham Kiggundu and later promoted to assistant administrator.
“Working next to him helped me to learn from his business approaches, advice which refueled my earlier passions of becoming an entrepreneur”, he says, “after I noticed an existing gap in professional cleaning services, his influences pushed me to pursue it”.
In 2015, with savings of UGX. 5 million savings, Kintu officially started with five cleaners signing his former boss Hamis Kiggindu’s HAM Towers as his first client and since, “we worked very well beyond his expectations, he added us another building HAM Shopping Mall, Nakivubo and later we started bidding for other commercial buildings”.
Earmarked for extending top-level Janitorial Services, Disinfection Services, Construction Clean-up, Special Events Cleanup, Kintu today, directs over 500 employees in all-driven cleaning services like bathroom Sanitation, Floor honing, Polishing, Upholstery cleaning and Window washing among others.
His clientele over the years has added both mid-sized and small-sized companies. The list of clienteles include; Zebra Towers, Course View Tower, Blackwood Limited, Next Media Services, Uganda Christian University among others.
Kintu’s harvests mushroomed into another company, Pestcom Solutions Limited an integration and diversification to 7 Star Cleaning Services for efficient pest management in janitorial operations.
Never short of challenges, running commercial cleaning services at a large scale often requires operational capital, “to pay off suppliers, employees, taxes yet most of the clients don’t pay on time and at times it’s a play between other competing companies so there are instances of under-biding”.
Kintu explains that while the commercial cleaning industry is very competitive, he and his team have managed to penetrate through it because of passion and staying committed to offer not only a clean environment but also a hygienic atmospheric experience.
Kintu Rashid Elias attained his primary education at DK primary school, Namasuba joining Lubiri High School for O, LEVEL and his A’ Level at East High, Ntinda and Kawanda Secondary School thereafter pursing a Bachelor of Public Administration and Management at Nkumba University.
