Episode 46 — transcript

Kenya Wastes Sewage Water Every Day. Robert Mundia Is Turning It Into a Resource. Ep. 46

This transcript is generated automatically by YouTube and has not been checked by a person. It misspells names and mishears words, particularly around Kenyan English and company names, so read it as a guide to the conversation rather than a quotable record. Each timestamp opens the video at that moment.

0:05 Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to episode 46 of the African Blue podcast. Today we have yet another person who fits the the tag serial entrepreneur, a good old friend of mine, Robert Munda. We go way back. Robert, welcome to the African Do podcast.
Thank you. Thank you, Leonard. Glad to be here.
Excellent.
Really glad to be here.
Excellent. Sasa maybe we should just disclose as we begin that Robert was my classmate. We were actually in the same house in high school
on Waki were there Nairobi school for 4 years
and uh when we finished school Robert
you found your way into aviation.
So let's start that story there.
Yeah I know that you're the son of an aviator. Your dad was a a persona with with Kenyaways for a long time and so you grew up really having a front row seat to the aviation in industry.

1:06
Yeah.
So maybe walk us through the choice and then we'll go through how you pivoted to other things.
Okay. uh as in aviation if we started with aviation
we you know when uh as as children of a person working at the airline ind in the airline industry
we used to get he used to get free tickets for his kids
so places like you know there are countries that we've we had gone to when we were very very young
gone into planes and you know sat in the cockpit when we were very very young
so most of us most of us we are brothers We are three we were three brothers.
Uh so most of us grew up knowing that we want to be pilots specifically.
So because we used to keep going to the cockpit to see what they're doing. M

1:53
so when it came to a point where I had I'd already started a business selling clothes
and uh when that opportunity came to be employed it was sort of I I became a cabin crew member as a stepping stone hoping that I'll be able to do piloting after that or when I'm employed there.
Yes.
And then uh do study piloting and become a pilot.
Okay.
But that didn't work out. I'll just tell you business just came in and things just went okay
another direction.
So you did start your career as a cabin crew.
Yeah.
And how long were you with Kenya Airways in in in the cabin crew?
3 years.
3 years only.
Three years. Three years. Yes. 98 to 2001.
Okay.
March.
Okay.

2:36
Okay. And what now triggered the move away? Now uh there are three things that triggered
uh one and the most uh the one that is in my mind a lot is that our lastborn brother
was in the Abijan crash. You remember the first one not the dual one the Abijan crash.
Yes.
So he was in that crash he passed. He was you remember there was only one body that was never found.
Yes it was. And that was the reason why that search stayed for 2 months
because my mom had said there's no way her son's body has to be brought.
So at some point when she was shown photos 2 months later you just know bodies they wouldn't be when she was shown photos of how the bodies are being retrieved. The kind of bodies that are being retrieved is when she said okay

3:21
okay
now you guys can close the search. That was one reason.
Yeah.
Uh second reason is a guy that he's called his name is Captain Otari.
Yes. That guy was my mentor and we used to find ourselves in flights together our rosters used to match a lot.
Yes.
So whenever we go to places [clears throat] like Dubai at that time I'd already started the security company a security company.
So we used to go and we used to talk a lot. So I'd already disclosed to him you know like because we were close and he's an older person like a fatherly figure. Yes. So I'd already disclosed to him about the business and how it's doing and he could see probably that maybe there's a car that he's seeing and he's seeing that this guy is trying to make it. One day he told me when I was in the cockpit one day I think we're coming

4:04 from Dubai or London or something.
Yes.
And one question he told me was these guys sitting in first class are not all captains. They're not pilots.
They're actually business people. M
so if you're seeing your piloting story is not really jelling very very well
then I think me his opinion was me I think you're a better businessman than a pilot
okay
so that was the second reason
did that mean a lot coming from a sitting pilot or a flying pilot
who's then telling you that listen
you might be better at something else than this
yeah and you know it made sense because he's talking about the people sitting in first class first class tickets are hefty
so him saying that these guys sitting in first class are are not pilots, they are business people.

4:51
Okay.
That triggered something in me.
And the third thing,
the third one was that the business I I had opened a security company just before getting the KQ job.
Yes.
So it started doing better. it started becoming better because the salary from KQ used to go pay the rent in industrial area the office and the few staff members that were there uh my salary used to pay that
and also you know when you're in KQ you can also go and buy things from Dubai like I used to sell IC's they're called diodes and IC's for the guys in Luthi so I used to come with cartons of IC's
sell them in Lthuli and promote the business
now uh it's actually started doing well because there was actually money to pay very good workers Yes.

5:35
Um and it's that's that's the other reason I just one day I went after I got I was I was on leave after the after the plane crash.
Yes.
I went back and there's another manager there who just called me names banner because I don't know why he was just
calling me names. I went back into the car and wrote a resignation letter there and then it was stamped received and I never looked back.
Okay.
So let's talk a bit about this security uh company that you've introduced us to. Yeah. This is Scansshack, right?
Scans security.
And uh it was not a security guarding company [clears throat]
but it was more security installations.
Yeah.
So let's come back to the beginning because you were doing this while you were employed.

6:16
Mhm.
So what did you see?
What gap did you see in the market and how did you
make that opportunity come to life?
Okay.
Yeah.
Now this was actually by chance.
Mhm.
Uh I used to sell clothes at a place called Fremark. You remember Freak?
Yes. there near railways there.
Yeah.
So, uh there was this salesman who used to come instead of you know he's a salesman he's supposed to go to the field
then he used to come to the stall just to sit there the whole day because we became friends.
Then he used to tell us about the alarm systems that he used to work for a company that does alarm systems the motion sensors such things. M so we just started that story and you know we were talking and during one of those trips for going to bring clothes to sell

7:01
I went into Dubai and I saw these things are not expensive you know and I looked at the margin
what you're talking about motion sensors
motion sensors yes alarms
alarm systems like the magnetic contacts vibration sensors for windows and stuff
so I went and cuz I found they're not expensive I bought a few
and I just came with them and but they stayed they stayed with me for like 6 8 months without even getting one job.
Yeah.
So, this guy triggered something and uh as as I'm marketing looking for a way of selling that first batch of motion sensors and alarm equipment, [clears throat]
I started looking at sites and it got me going thinking that actually this business can actually be better.

7:40
Okay.
So, in between uh uh that conversation with that guy and me going to sites and looking at sites and stuff, that's how Scans Security was born.
Okay. The first job
was one year after I brought that equipment. Okay.
And you know it was it was in Nasha somewhere so remote.
Yes.
What was the first job?
There's a farm opposite de la. It's really big. It's actually as big as de la.
Somebody [snorts] somebody called Roberto. I can't remember the name of the farm but it's very Marula Estates.
Marula Estates.
Marula Estates.
I know. Marula. Yes.
Marula Estates. That office of theirs.
Yes.
We were there with that lastborn brother of mine.
Yes.
I told cuz he was bored. I told him come we got nasha we go install and an electrician

8:24
we went and installed it you by the way you know on all security installation systems
that thing that alarm system is the hardest to install
these other things CCTV electric fencing they're quite easy that thing one cable probably has eight wires a long time ago 16 you need to know where to put every wire and if you make one mistake you might have to remove all the wires and start again
so it took us maybe double the time we had promised we'll install
but one evening We finished and Roberto just said maz you guys have tried I've seen you guys are struggling [laughter]
but you and this is the installation in the office.
Yeah that office
so scack now is alive.
Yeah
it has but this time you are you are you are still employed right? You are still flying. Yeah. So 3 years later you write your resignation letter and you go fulltime into scans. Yes.

9:15
How does that journey look like? There was there there was also an advantage I would say there was an advantage at that time
there were three company no including scans there were three companies or four that used to do four actually that used to do security installations
yes
all the rest were owned by Mongus
yes
so when people saw a Kenyan say you go to I come to you
there's three white guys who are there presenting and it's me I'm presenting and I'm talking the same language and you can see I'm knowledgeable in that field.
Okay.
You I think most of the time you're going to most of the people are going to be biased towards giving his guy, you know.
So I think that played a big part.

9:59
Yeah. First move advantage for an indigenous Kenyan.
Exactly.
Another thing is that I was so young that I think I was like 24 25.
Yeah. And that fact that you know the way people create an image when you're going to sell an item you go probably with a flashy car for example. Okay. Something that shows that you're going to afford to do the job. You wouldn't run away with their tums.
So uh that thing also and my card used to read marketing manager.
Okay.
Cuz now if you're CEO of that company and you're saying it's a big company.
Yeah. They'll think this company is too small.
Yeah.
So my title on my card used to be marketing manager. And if this guy is a marketing manager then this company is really really big.

10:41
Okay,
let me give these guys.
That's how we ended up getting like say ranches say in Nuki. Those ones really built us up.
Nyuki and Nasha, the flower farms in Naasha.
Yes.
I would say at around uh by about maybe 2006 we were the ones who had done maybe 90% of the flower farms.
And what are you doing when you said you have done? Um I have a couple of questions but let me start with the first one. When you said you're done,
you started by doing these installations of alarm systems. Yeah. But now you're talking about flower farms. So what's like your product mix? What are you what are you uh good
question selling to guys out there?
Now security installations include alarm systems,

11:26
electric fencing, CCTV
and access control. Access control in essence is electric gates.
Yes. and this um biometric biometrics.
So you have a large portfolio, you know,
you can walk into a place that's being built, even though they won't do all the other three,
they need to do one.
Okay.
Maybe an electric fence,
maybe just maybe CCTV.
Okay.
So like the flower farms, most of the jobs we did were we started with alarm systems for us to get their trust. M
we started they like flower farms usually have a very small store that stores very expensive fertilizer or things the things they use on additives. Yes.
So you steal a box one carton of that thing you can probably it's around 600,000.

12:14
Yes.
So we started with alarm systems and we we were recommended we got recommended. Then one person a a place called flower business park.
Yes. It's one big farm uh near de la there
that houses or rents out flower farms to other
various operators.
Yes. Operators farmers.
So one of the guys there told us okay by the way you guys I think you guys can do our electric fence. Okay. That flower farm was big that particular one.
It was really big. So that one really lifted us up and because of that electric fence we got the rest of the the rest of the flower farms. Mhm.
And we also got recommended uh actually Nuki Ranches started from the Nasha flower farms.
This guy recommends this company and these guys, you know, they do a good job and

13:03
we were given I'll correct you on something. We actually started guarding.
Mhm.
I think 2008.
Yes.
But I think that was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my [laughter] life.
What did you find out with guarding, man?
Boss, boss, boss. You know, we we we had a really good marketing team.
Yes.
These guys used to bring in jobs, electric fencing jobs, and now I engaged them to and persuaded them to be bringing in guarding jobs.
These guys brought in so many guards in a very very short while.
Yes.
We were not prepared.
Okay.
The tree was bigger than uh the roots could hold.
We didn't have a way of collecting money.
Yeah. You didn't have systems.
Yeah. We didn't have systems. You know on electric fencing you do a job say probably it's around x amount maybe 200,000

13:50
you'll be given 100,000 when you finish 100,000 that one can take a week or two
in guarding you do not have the luxury of time
yes
you have to have cash
because end of month end month
big salaries you have to pay the guards
the time now I decided now it was eating into the security installation site okay
it ate up and by the time I realized because being optimistic being the go-getter, you know, being optimistic, so to speak. I kept saying this thing will flourish. We are not giving up.
But
so you you you you talk about interesting. You you've learned from these mistakes like like going into guarding and finding it's not for you
and finding that guarding is probably eating into your working capital for your main business which is thriving.

14:37
But you also said one thing. You said that uh when you were presenting you came across as knowledgeable.
Yeah.
Yet this is not something that you have studied. Yeah. And you admit that in your first job Yeah.
you you basically you winged it but you pulled it off.
Correct.
So how do you then transition from someone who's winging it
to someone who's become now knowledgeable enough
to stand in front of a room, pitch for a job, get it, and execute it well. Okay. U I've always been technical, you know, like repairing things.
Yes.
Uh we used to dismantle my son and I used to dismantle the DVD.
Yes.
And repair it. It used to be in like 20 pieces and we assemble it again and clean it and assemble it again and it works. So that the fact that I like those technical things made me go to sites.

15:30
Okay.
When a job is being done, I would sit down there. I know in the beginning I didn't know.
Yes. It is an electrician who is doing things and you're looking at them and you're asking questions.
So when you do that too many times, you're bound to know what you're what you're installing. You're bound to get an idea of electric fencing. When we started on electric fencing after alarms,
yeah,
it was one of the most complic I thought it was one of the most complicated things ever.
Yeah.
But it's actually not.
Okay. There are some tricks making sure that you know like say for example, somebody will not be able to cut the wires. There are some tricks that are played to confuse the wires.

16:04
Those ones come up with experience, but it's not it's actually not in reality. It's not complicated.
It's very easy.
And uh how long how long do you now run Scan Shark?
Okay. Scans Shark is actually running today.
It's still running.
It's still running. It's really It's not doing at that well. It's it's it it always has a job or two. Always. Yes.
There's always an electric fence going on or to CCTV. Even you, you are my client.
Yes. Yes. [laughter] Yes. Yes.
So, there's always a job going on. It's not like any other business that I have, but it's there's always a job going on. So, Scans Shack has never stopped.
Okay.
It is still working. I'd like to out out of the dream that I I had a long time ago when I was starting, I would like to revive it now later on.

16:54
Let me ask you something. And I've never asked you this even on a personal level, but maybe now this is the right time to ask you this.
Do you feel that because you were young?
Yeah.
Mhm.
You did not get comfortable
in a corporate environment
because you joined KQ at 18 there 19 thereabouts
and by 23 you're leaving. M yeah.
Mhm.
So do you feel that one
that you got into business early?
Mhm.
Yeah.
Mhm.
And yes, you did experience a bit of the corporate life as a cabin crew, so a salary.
H But do you think that your early foray into business
has given you the ability to try? You're not scared of trying. Because if I was sitting with someone and we have sat with many guests here on the podcast

17:55
who are coming from a corporate environment
and the willingness to come out
and just now go and try is what scares most people.
Yeah.
But you don't have that. Is that because of age
or or or what would you put it to? What I would say is uh you know like initially the reason for starting one of the first businesses because you are young
it is actually people let don't let people lie to you. It's the money.
Yes.
You age a bit then you become a you become a mentor and stuff like that or you start appreciating what you're doing for other people but initially it starts
you want money.
Yeah.
Yeah. You want money, you just want to live that life, you know, and you're young. You're seeing guys are going there, they're pinting things, you know, and you you'd actually like that kind of life.

18:45
That's that's what motivates the younger generation including I
when when I was starting the the earlier company, the Scans Security, it the motivation was money.
Yes.
Yeah. Then later like now that company like now I'm just a mentor of people. I'll give you that story. where I industry
but realistically it is just money
and then you come
and start growing
and you realize okay this thing actually I need to take this thing seriously
because now when you go to the office you find
you know things are disorganized for example you know like how come you forgot to ask
uh this client about the marketer how come you forgot to ask this client about this job and it's already 3 weeks you know how come we lost this job how Damn, this happened. Then you realize that you actually need systems. You actually grow. The business grows as you're growing. You don't have I didn't

19:39
you grow up in the business.
Yes.
You didn't you don't have to. And that is another thing that I'd like to tell you in this podcast. There are people who fear that thing of oh if I resign
and I Yeah. And I get that question a lot. Blanco,
that question very very many people ask me that question. I do I don't want I don't want employment anymore
boss me I want to move one thing I tell them is you have to first putting that foot first
yes
and don't okay but another thing I tell them be careful at this business environment it's not really good
yes
so start the business now when you're still when you still have the money and the employment
as a cushion
let it flourish let it work and then now resign when you're sure

20:27
allow yourself to learn
yes but If things go south at probably retrenchment or something, don't fear.
You you have an idea, just get into it. Go and work and you know, as long as you're going into it every morning, 8 to 5,
at least you're you're bound to get something right. Even
even is it a spoiled clock is right
twice, two times a day,
you're going to stumble onto something that is actually going to make you some little money as long as you're doing it consistently. 8 to five you're doing that a particular item don't fear
I think I think you you you've raised a very interesting entrepreneurial topic yeah
and uh the importance
of doing even if you're doing imperfectly

21:19
well said
you know most people feel that they have to do perfectly you know they it has to be clean it has to be
and we we forget that time
you will learn
if you give yourself time.
Yeah. I think we have really I think that one of the things from my entrepreneurial experience
that is underestimated
is failure.
I think failure is a powerful thing man. [laughter] I think failure.
Yeah, like the way you bring it, it's like a really good thing to happen to, you know, actually you're right. It's actually you are failing at 24.
Boss, I've failed so many times
at 24. So now when you're when we are now in our 50s, you don't look at failure as this thing.
But you know, someone else went into corporate,

22:13
it was safe, you know, he he he was top of his class in in in in we have classmates like that, top of their class in Patch. Mhm.
They they come out
top their class in uni.
Yes.
Taken up by a big corporate. And now when you fast forward
to 30 odd years, 30 something odd years since you finished school.
Yeah.
And it's like, oh, now you you're you're trying to get out
and you see failure as this dark thing. [laughter]
They just need to get into it. But but but but let's come back to the businesses.
Yeah.
You're not doing security now.
No.
Yeah.
Now you've what do you call it? The the the word they use nowadays is you've pivoted [clears throat] into something different. Yeah.

23:07
Yeah.
So tell us about Bioend East Africa Limited. And what I'm curious about in telling us about Biovent
tell us
where did the idea come from?
Yeah. M
and what has the journey for bio when did it when did the idea come to you? How did you action it and what is bioent because I would say like 90% of your time nowadays is spent on on correct
Africa. Correct.
So how it started there are two factors that actually motivated me to start
the other one the first one and I would say it was hilarious because there's a guy called Sanani they have tracks.
Yes. That guy RK. Yes. So RK
he's very particular on security. You install something for him,
you hand over to him. It doesn't really matter how small it is.

23:59
Yes.
You hand over to him himself.
Even if you do hand over to the manager, you'll come back when he comes back
if he's not there. So one day he calls me and it was Easter. I think it was Easter or Easter weekend. He calls me and tells me uh there's another car here I want to test. I want us to go to Costto. You hand over that electric fence. I tell him it's Easter. He says me I'm going and if you don't this is the chance you'll have to hand over to me then I pay you okay motivator is money I told him we go s we went to cost I handed it over it it was working perfectly now on payment cuz we had had a few beers with him that evening so when it came to payment I think this on Saturday morning is when he was meant to we were meant to go with him to the bank cuz now I was telling him me if you don't mind paying me cashmir I would really be happy don't write for me a for next week.

24:49
Yeah.
So I said okay now okay we go. So he called one of his drivers n we go then you know withdrawal he has to withdraw himself
where we got parking was so far away that we had to walk that guy and and he's so big you know at that time he was like one of the biggest trackers.
So we walked with him all the way. You know what he told me? He told me now look at look at look your boss me taking taking me all this way because of 400 G's [laughter] [clears throat] youing me and you're mistreating me son I told him the word we agreed last night youing to withdraw he told me this what I'm saying is I would rather walk this way when I'm going to withdraw for you 4 million not 400
GS
that thing me is not sitting well with me

25:35
hey okay that was a motivating factor now what jobs do I get that will give me electric fencing at that time the big jobs were actually starting to get finished. So you couldn't get it was rare to get like a 4 million 5 million 6 million job. So another thing that happened at around the same time there was a a site that we you know mambo
so he had a site that we were doing electric fencing for and uh there's this company that was doing a biodigestertor not a sewage water treatment plant. I'll explain the difference.
Those common bio digesttors. But these guys were so busy. They were never even coming for meetings.
They are being called. They are being they are not coming for meetings cuz they are so busy. And I asked about the pricing. I was told how much they charge. Okay. So I start I went into the internet. I started looking at companies and how that thing works, how it works. I actually went for a trip in South Africa to South Africa.

26:34
One of the companies there. But they had already gotten a person to work to to be their representative in Kenya.
And what you're reading up on is wastewater treatment systems, sewage and waste water treatment systems.
Yes.
Okay.
Yes. So I went to South Africa. I tried getting a dealership from them. They said they already have someone. But there's this one company.
Mhm. that of all the companies that I wrote to Japan, US, um, South Africa, other South African companies, Australian companies, uh, German companies, there's this one company that was ignoring and you could see their rating and the way they saying and their how do you say when people when customers their website used to have a a place where customers speak either well or badly or better about your system, well or bad about your system. And these

27:22 guys were not responding to me. One day I got a call uh a funny number. I just picked it up and somebody told me there's a representative of ours in I think it was a Danish embassy. There's a representative of a company in Denmark who is in Nairobi for those expos KCC expo. Yeah. And he would like you know you you showed interest. They are saying you showed interest. So I went there and KCC I got the number the guy's number you know he was my partner that guy. So I got his number and I went to KICC. We actually hit it off and he's a he was a gentleman. We hit it off and he decided after that he used to come and go. He used to be a manager in the Danish company that was ignoring.
Yes.
So he decided that he wants to settle. He got a wife here. He decided he wants to settle in Kenya.

28:15
So h [clears throat] we agreed that we need to be partners. My advantage was white guy maybe 60 something years old that guy is very good image to the business
my knowledge of going because of scans security going around I know architects I know yeah I know engineers I know developers so it was a really good team
and we worked very very well by the way
so you see this opportunity
but how does this so uh maybe now uh is a good time for you to introduce the sector to You know [clears throat]
what is this wastewater management systems?
What happens in that space?
You talked about biodigesttors, you talked about filtration systems, you talked about sewage treatment plants.

29:04
So walk us through give us a an overview of what the industry is.
Okay. So Bioend itself is not people say it's a sewage company.
It's actually a water company.
Okay.
But we get more sewage jobs somehow.
Okay. It's like scans used to get more electric fences than these other jobs,
but uh this one gets a lot of seaweed jobs, but it is actually a water purification company.
We taking any kind of waste water.
Yeah.
Factories that use a lot of water
and they would like to reuse it again in their processes
or it has chemicals and it has some dirt that cannot go into the drainage or seage, you know, warmer things. Yeah. Fats, such things. There are some things you're not allowed to even throw into the sewage, leave alone the drainage. So those are the companies that get in touch. We clean their water and they reuse their water. Company that say consumes probably 8,000 L of water a day.

30:01
That's a lot of water to throw away
and they need more water to buy more water. So they save probably about I would say they save about 60 70% of the water because the rest is duct.
How that machine it's called? Okay. Now it depends. It's created in a different way. You look at the data that there you take that sample that water sample you take it to a water laboratory accredited nema laboratory. You get a water analysis report. So that tells you what you need to remove.
Mhm.
To make that water better.
Okay.
You understand? Because you need to do something.
You start by taking the dirty water.
Yeah.
For lab testing.
Yes. And when you take the dirty water for lab testing, you then see okay this is the this is what constitutes this dirty water and in order to make it portable

30:50
this is what we need to remove.
To remove yes very important there are people who say no give me a rough estimate. I I try my best to tell them we need to have a sample
cuz you can't get it there. There are situations where the water is so dirty.
You'll find cleaning a very small amount of water is the same price as cleaning a very large amount of water that is actually cleaner.
Yeah.
Yeah. So it is important that it is taken to a laboratory for testing.
Okay.
Then you design the system.
What do you need? You need ultra filtration, you need the the filters, you need the carbon filters, you need there are very many things that constitute a system.
Yeah.
And uh the the dirtier the water, the more complicated the system obviously.

31:30
Yes. So uh that that is really catching on in Kenya
because of the seriousness of the government bodies. You know even though we are saying government is not really doing their I'm telling you this water business these water uh bodies like I mean these water companies like Wina Ko those those companies that deal with water they're actually very serious people.
They actually arresting very senior people.
Okay.
Yeah. They're going say to a factory somewhere they find these guys doing he's pouring dirty water into a river and they actually arresting them.
Okay. Okay.
Yeah. That that I like. We must give credit where it's due.
So and also okay when they arrested obviously they give us work because they have to clean the water now quickly. Quickly

32:12
so that their business continues.
Yes.
So um that what I I digress. What was the question? Please remind me.
No the question was you were just walking us through the industry. Oh, generally.
Yes. What is what what kind of things you you install and I think you started with that
with the water purification plant, right? [clears throat]
Yeah.
Okay. Then that is one of the the products that we have. The second one and the most interesting one is sewage.
Mhm.
We actually clean sewage and make it clean. The company I represent makes it clean. Makes their water clean enough to drink.
Mhm. But in Kenya guys said mentally [laughter] they can't cross that barrier. I even went to Nema to tell them to write for me now a letter to say that our water can be drunk. He told me you guys just go away just [laughter]

33:07
you don't know what we can't tell.
How can you write his name we write at what one day a guy get sick
even one of the people.
So what do you do in a Kenyan context?
In a Kenyan context it's actually a challenge. So there's levels of cleaning that water
for you to be able to drink that water. There's a sixth level. There are five. There's a sixth level that comes where you introduce uh say the water purification equipment
and it makes it portable.
Yes.
So uh there's even one of the people that we work for they have the the the reason we got that job that is Dissi. M
the reason we got that job is because the owners are very ad they've seen the world thinking
they've seen the world you know one of the owners

33:53
so you actually know both so
they one day I got a call because we had we were bidding
for a in a through a company called Howard Humphre and we were bidding and hoping that we get the job and you know cuz somebody else had messed up there the first installation that they did
somebody else had messed up. So as we were bidding one day I told them that our water can actually go to that level of cleanliness where you can actually drink.
Oh they got interest.
So even though they are not drinking the water then it's not being cleaned to be drunk. It's actually just irrigating but they still held on to us because of just that last factor
where that water can be cleaned enough to be drunk.

34:33
Okay. So on sewage it's a it's a very interesting concept because it is just about settling the water. Settling the water and then irerration. We don't use chemicals. That's a big factor for us.
Okay. What do you use?
Ours is bacterial. It's the bacteria. We just provide a conducive atmosphere for bacteria to thrive.
Mhm.
We give it we try and clean the water. The first stages are for settling solids at the bottom, water in the middle. Let's maybe for the the ease of the the audience to follow.
Okay.
Let's start from I've flushed the toilet.
Ah,
I've used the toilet. I've flushed. Now you take over.
Now you've flushed.
Yes.
The water older systems and local systems usually have things like grease traps because of the kitchens. [snorts]

35:22
You have to have a grease trap somewhere because fats are not good for the the other systems. Our system takes in everything.
So we actually gone. Where does it go?
It goes to a first chamber. It goes there's the last manhole. It's just an inspection manhole.
And there's there's the first chamber. The first chamber first and second are just settling chambers.
Mhm.
You just let the solid settle. Water remains on in the middle and fats on top.
We need those fats. I'll explain later.
Actually, let me tell you why.
The first and second chamber is raw sewage.
Mhm. So for for for that first and second chamber not to smell the the fats come and mask on top. It's sort of gunky like a blackish key thing that just comes and masks that helps the first and second chamber not smell. After that the water is not really smelly and it goes through

36:12
the there's one very important thing before I move forward. The third chamber is called a buffer tank. Mhm.
When you give, you know, it's bacteria that is consuming that water that the solids and the dirt.
There's a lot of flow in the morning
people are showering, people are using their loose, people are eating breakfast. So after that, everybody probably goes, you can't give bacteria all that seage at at that time.
So there's a third chamber that's a buffer tank that collects the sewage every 15 minutes. It's timed. There's a control panel that times it. The bacteria collects is is given the chamber that has bacteria is given that water every 15 minutes
and it consumes easily

36:54
slowly. By the time that water leaves that chamber, it goes to the last one. It's actually clean water. You would think it's drinking water
but it's not. It has microorganisms a ecoli and stuff.
Yes. So after that we went ahead and started another product where immediately you know unfortunately for sewage sewage when you do it has that water has to go somewhere
because there's more sewage coming you can't just ler yeah in the evening tomorrow there's more water coming so you just can't linger that part
now we went forward and started irrigation
we do pop-up sprays that uh come up at night at 2:00 a.m. They just spray and the next day the machine waits for more sewage.
So it's actually a product that irrigation product we started last year.

37:40
But how do you remove the kina ecoli?
Oh bacteria. Oh bacteria.
There's a a a last because we do not want to use chemicals. That's a I would say
that's your key selling proposition.
Yeah. Yeah. Cuz chemicals are not you know it's not green. You're not going green. Okay. Chlorine is not really bad. You can actually swimming till water people drink.
Yeah. But so that we try as much as possible not to use chemicals. We've used chemicals in the past,
but nowadays we're installing a UV light that kills
the microorganisms. The last the water that comes out of the last chamber goes through a pipe that has UV
that kills the microorganisms.
So you use ultraviolet.
Yes. Yes. Yes. That's it. So then after that it goes to the irrigation. The reason why UV you have to use you know that water is going to to to water loans even people can actually come you know probably there's a tap or probably there's somewhere that somebody can access that water there are people who try to drink that water even though we make sure that the taps if there's a tap we try and make there's a special

38:44 kind of tap that you need a lock or a key to be able to open like
so that's what we do to those taps but just to be careful UV is important another factor that is the okay again it depends on the system there are some systems that you would actually need the UV
yes
you reduce the cost for the client you say here
the grass your grass is open air kabisa
the sun is UV
so the sun when that water ps when the sun comes out probably by six seven all the microorganisms can't work can't really survive with UV the sun's UV rays
so the microorganisms die that way
yeah so that's how it works
so tell us about this space
I I mean very interesting but who are your typical clients? Uh you've mentioned one which is but I think for you Tissi that's a large client

39:35
but who is your let's say speak about small medium and large who do you service?
Okay anybody [clears throat] who is not on the who doesn't have a sewer line
yes
is our client. Mhm.
It's just that some some some soils like say the reason why you find septic tanks work in other areas. Say you'll find somewhere like where there's red soil, ruined areas and stuff. You'll find it's you'll find it very hard to be able to get a job. You'll find it easier to get a job in Karin. There's an area in Karin with black cotton soil.
Reason being black cotton soil does not water does not percolate easily.
So the septic tank clogs.
Mhm. When it rains again the water is the sewage water is collected and that gives us work.

40:21
Go down again to Akinasio Kimo go to Kangundo road actually people on Kango road as far as
not Tala but those areas of Kafu Camulu and stuff they've actually installed because the normal local biodigestertor does not work
because that water goes to a sock pit and the sock pit will not work on black cotton soil. It's not percolating.
It's not percolating.
So, uh, anybody who is not on the on a sewer line should be able to install there and and especially again there are people who have water problems, water issues.
Yes.
They do not want even without water issues, you do not want to spend a lot of money
watering your lawn.
Okay?
Because it's a lot.
Yes. Uh, another thing is you know that water that we another thing I forgot to tell you when that water is cleaned if we if we get into a site before it's built we advise the client to do plumbing to reflush the toilets.

41:15
All right.
You see the toilet.
So you take [clears throat] the the water that you have cleaned from the sewer, you put it back in the toilets. Yes.
But that requires you
involved at design stage of the house. Correct.
So that the the the plumbing is is done like that. Yeah,
but it must be a huge saving then because we're doing what 6 to 7 liters per flush.
Yeah. And there are other systems that are about 9 L.
Mhm.
So, and you can imagine everybody, you know, you flush flushing is the biggest consumer of water, the toilet.
So, if you can save a long time ago, the systems were 20 lit. You remember those old ones, the ceramic ones, heavy things. Yeah.
So, those ones used to save guys a lot of water, a lot of money on water.

41:53
Yes.
These other ones, yes, you're saving, but you're saving less. You'll save about 40 30%. M
which is also a saving blank. Good. So, uh you reflash the water, you keep it's a it's a pro. It's a cycle. You just
So, who are your customers? Tell me in terms of businesses or business groupings. Of course, there's the individual. We've got that clearly. And we've also understood you have this big corporate either in factories who you're cleaning for or in major developments, master plant developments like Tissi.
But who is sitting here in the middle?
Okay. There's a even apartments like where we are there's a high likelihood that there's a sewage treatment plant here. High likelihood probably the water is taken to the drainage building. Yeah. Where we are

42:37
because nowadays if you see most of the new buildings and there's no sewer line they have a problem with sewage and where to take that sewage
but that water can be cleaned well enough. Drainage is available. Sewage lines are not available.
So because of rain.
Yes.
So you can clean that water well enough to be taken to the drainage
without. So most buildings do that.
Okay.
That's the middle class building.
I saw you recently on Facebook doing a a video for a lodge.
Is that a new is that a new
is that a new client base for you?
It is. And I am proud to say that we are one of the pioneers of uh sorting their problems.
Okay. Okay.
You know the conservancies they don't want anybody doing permanent structures.

43:17
Yes.
Cuz it's not actually even theirs. They are renting it. M
so even if you have to dig under do the civil works and stuff they don't want those things
they just want you to come and place things on top when you finish you go with them
we designed a system that we we actually inh did a system that is a containerized system
yes
we put everything into a container the water enters from that door the container
40 foot or
yeah okay that one was two
two
one was 40 one was one one in the lodge was 40 foot because that's where most of the
And you custom designed these things.
Yeah, we custom now the tanks are inside. We place the tanks, you know, it's in chambers as I explained it's cleaned in chambers in in a series of chambers.

44:03
So,
we just custom made chambers into a a container.
Yeah.
Went dropped it, connected the pipes and the water is clean.
Excellent. Now the the main lodge had a 40 foot. The workers place where the drivers come the 20 foot. It wasn't the that there's no the water that that's being consumed there is not a lot.
Yeah.
So that one got a 20 foot. But that thing is really giving us a lot of uh
mileage
mileage for lodges cuz you know they're getting sheidas.
So let's let's let's put on our dreaming cap a bit.
Yes.
Yeah. One of the things that we have been talking to with you about
is capitalization funding. Yeah.
Uh and I like to pose this question because I think it it paints a great picture of what's possible.

44:55
Let's assume
that you can access
Yeah.
any amount of money from a capital perspective that you need. M
what do we see bioent to do
because that story you've brought I'm happy you're bringing it up because the the the funding is a big issue here in Kenya but I think we we'll start to gain
uh some funding maybe in future not now
so um bioend are my dream I told you now as you grow older you remember the story where we started
yes
as you grow older you start getting in touch with the business it's about money paper in the But then you start seeing how you can make
Yeah. impact
first to society, second to your business,
third creating employment.
Uh giving people some money in their pocket, right?

45:48
So there's something I came up with a a a business plan.
Mhm.
To make sewage water treatment cheaper. It's actually not cheap.
Mhm.
Uh let me give you an example. The local biodigestertor that takes water to a sock pit is say 90 to 100 gs.
Mhm. uh the sewage treatment plant is 32340 going forward without the civil works
just the sewage treatment plant
so you find that people somebody has built a house they don't want expenses s so they tell you first do the biodigester
and then it works then they wonder why they want to upgrade
there's no need but you know you look at the world and you want to you want people to consume water nicely
did you hear that story about aquifers and boholes drying up coming from the I mean the gashia side one of our friends in the group in our [clears throat] group in our part group said actually boholes have dried up in the areas of nar coming this way

46:42
they're drying up blanco
it's not a joke
so impact is I want people to be able to install seaw treatment plants so that water is consumed less in the house
because you're using the water to water your home
instead of kjo water
yes
that is one so I came up with a business plan that was going to make sewage water treatment cheaper Yes,
where it is we are going to not manufacture per but assemble. There's one item that we cannot manufacture locally. It's patented.
So the filter itself that's where we gain the big advantage of our water. That's why our water is very clean.
That one we have to bring and it's not cheap. So but the other items we can come and retrofit and you know make make a system a small nice system that you're just going to dig put it in plug and play and it works.

47:29
Okay. Let me tell you impact financial h if we got good good funding we would actually teach people because you can't you can't really handle when you hear people in Kital want that thing because it's affordable now
before I go to that kital part and it's affordability you know the cost that I'm the cost that I managed to get is the same cost as building a septic tank believe imagine that a septic tank is what is used even in shags.
Okay.
Now imagine if you called a contractor to do for you a septic tank,
they would charge you probably 190 to 210.
Yes.
I actually came with a price margin of about 2 240 for a seaweed water treatment plant.
Wow.
All included.
Nice.

48:16
And that is what but you you have to have it needs a lot of capital. So if on the on the impact side coming back to the impact side financial impact side you're going to actually uh you know have kijas somewhere
maybe in kital who have been taught by your company on how to install that system
and your work will be like say now bioend will be like now the manufacturer of sorts
just to give those guys you know you come you get it you go and install you go and get it because it's going to we have to admit you know we are not we're no longer young anymore we know about business we've gone through it all. We are no longer greedy.
Yes.
You want to do the installation and make more money. But in realist realistic realistically, you'd better just be the manufacturer cake.

48:59
Yeah. Grow the cake.
Yeah. Give guys to install. You make your name.
Yes.
I'd like for one day biovent to be called that system to be called the biovent.
That biovent of yours is not working. That bioend of yours is is really giving us clean water. Okay. That is my dream. So funders out there, if you uh [laughter] you've heard it, environmental impact, social impact, um water usage reduction, there's lots. Um I'll give Robert a chance uh to
But allow me maybe in wrapping up to to just say a couple of things. I really admire what you've done and what you continue to do.
Thank you. admire the fact that you are not afraid to try
and that you just get on with it, you know, and and and we kind of just do this thing. This is our country, our continent. Yeah. Yeah.

49:52
And if we can if we can take control of issues to the point where you learn from your your partners, but
your learning doesn't you're not learning to to to
imitate, but you're learning to be able to implement better in your context.
Well said.
Which is a local one. Yeah.
And so you're now thinking, okay, how do I drop this thing from 350,000 to 240? And then you know those those are very local contextual things.
Correct.
And it's not you're not trying to to look into some book that someone created about ESG somewhere. This is a local thing. Yeah.
The challenges that you're talking about are real challenges. Correct. You know Boho's drying real boho drying that we are using. You know replenishing the water table is a real is a real thing that needs to happen. You heard about wars in the future will be about water

50:49
100%. Yeah.
So now I'll give you a chance to speak to the market and speak to the audience. Tell them about Bioend East Africa.
Where can they find you? Where can they find your socials? But even h don't leave scan child scan shack as the offered child there. Also plug scan shark. you know, if people are looking for CCTVs or electric fences, there's there's still some need. So, the two businesses that you've had the privilege of building. Yeah.
Maybe you can just tell the audience where they can find you.
Yeah.
How they can reach out to you, your websites and the like.
Correct.
Yeah.
So, uh I'll start with Scans. Skans is actually a fully grown company. I don't know. I don't know what question we would go into, which scenario we would go into and we asked a question that we cannot answer.

51:41
Yes.
Okay. on both businesses now now that I've grown into the auto business.
So, uh, Scansak has I I would really like to revive it and make it bigger just for the sake of the dream. You know what I planned
and uh we install all those things that we install apart from guarding.
Yes.
We do all of those things the security
electric fences
CCTV access control you know the my biometrics and the electric gates. Uh what else is we say electric fencing alarms CCTV access control. Yeah, that's it.
Okay.
Yeah. And uh now it has come to a point where I'm actually mentoring people.
Mhm.
I was This story I'd like to tell you, Blanco. There's another guy who used to work for me. He came he was a he wasn't even a technician.

52:24
What he came to do was you know those electric fence the the black things that you see on an electric fence, the insulators.
We just got a guy to be riveting because we had a lot of work. So we needed guys to be screwing them in and riveting and stuff. He came in as that as that. about two elections ago that guy grew. He was actually vying for MP somewhere in Yanza.
Imagine that. Those are the things I like hearing. Blank
um the guy came I used to run a bar you know that.
So
this guy came one day and he kept telling people this guy
this this somebody vying for MP seat
and he's saying me I owe everything
I am
to this guy.
Those are the things I like hearing. I like hearing kiddos saying, you know, you see a guy, maybe somebody sees my car and they maybe somebody knows me or something sees me working and they call me Scan for example Edward.

53:20
Okay. Edward.
So where do guys find Scan?
Scans you can socials. All socials.
All socials the handle scans security just security.
Okay. And uh Bioend is bioend EA on the socials.
Okay.
Biovent EA. LinkedIn is Bioenda
and
Facebook is Bio East Africa.
Bioenda.
Yeah, that's we are we are very good on socials. You know our common friend who does a very good job for us Steve.
Uh big up Steve. Continue doing your good work.
Uh that uh socials we website very few people go through our website.
Yes. But what is it anyway? Oh, it's Bioend East Africa. www.biovent.co.ke.
Biovent Biovent East Africa or Biovent [clears throat] EA.
Bio www.biovent.co.k.
Okay.

54:14
Yeah.
bioavvent.co.k.
Yeah. But you there's some traffic but most of the traffic is on Google, YouTube, and the socials.
Maybe now after this podcast even website. [laughter] I'm telling you, it has to work. This dream has to come. It has to. It has to come. Robert Muna, thank you very much for being our guest on episode 46 of the African Do podcast. It's always a pleasure to talk to to to someone and understand how our journeys as entrepreneurs uh evolve. So, thank you very much for accepting our invitation
and we look forward to more interaction with you
in in in this space as you continue to grow and develop it.
And thank you so much for inviting me, Blanco. I like giving those stories and especially the failure stories. We didn't have a lot to talk about. Yes.

55:07
Giving guys on how to fall and come back up, you know.
Excellent.
Yeah.
Good. Ladies and gentlemen, that was episode 46 of the African Do podcast where we are privileged to have with us uh Robert Mundier of Scans Shark East Africa and Bioend East Africa Limited. Uh one is doing security systems and the other is doing um water purification and sewage treatment solutions around the country and we look forward to having you with us again on episode 47 and have a good day.