Business Daily (Nairobi)
Mwaura Kimani
6 July 2009
Manufacturing firms shrugged off soaring costs of production and weakening demand for goods to score high approval ratings for their management practices during the 2009 Company of the Year Awards (Coya).
While service firms had a strong showing in the awards whose top honours went to Mabati Rolling Mills, manufacturers dominated the fete, signalling their success in steering the corporate ship through the stormy year.
Other manufacturers who clinched awards on Friday evening included pharmaceutical products firm Blowplast, which took home an award for information and knowledge management practices and product improvement practices.
Business targetsNairobi Bottlers won the market orientation award while cement maker Bamburi was the first runner-up for the top award. Bamburi was also feted for its prowess in environmental improvement practices.
In the service industry, the Kenya Wildlife Service--whose boss Julius Kipngetich won the chief executive officer of the year award-- took home three more honours. It emerged the second runner-up for the best overall company and scored the highest marks in the leadership and governance categories.
The roofing materials manufacturer took home two more awards for corporate citizenship and quality improvement services in the fete sponsored by the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM).
"Despite the harsh business environment, most of the participating companies showed better management practices than last year," said Mwangi Ngumo, the executive director at KIM.
"This is an indication that most managers were focused on navigating the downturn to keep their companies afloat," said Mr Ngumo.
In the wake of the post -election violence in the first quarter of last year, soon followed by the credit crisis that is just starting to thaw, most Kenyan companies have found themselves fighting for survival rather than racing to meet business targets.
Organisers also said the quality of corporate governance, human capital management and market orientation among firms had greatly improved, buoyed by regulatory reforms in various sectors.
National carrier Kenya Airways won in two categories--strategic focus practices and emergency preparedness.
Organisers said the firm's response to an accident involving one of its aircraft in Cameroon last year was an indication it had a strong disaster preparedness and response machinery. The Boeing 737-800 crashed into a swamp in Cameroon killing 114 people.
Kenya Petroleum Refineries limited won the human resource practices award. Water and solar equipment firm Davis & Shirtliff and CIC Insurance took the judges awards--the former for their consistence in the awards since they begun 10 years ago and the latter for a good showing despite being a first timer.
Muthoga Ngera, the General Manager, Agency Operations at British American Insurance Company (Britak) was picked as the manager of the year.
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