Bowen builds his name brick by brick

By Peter Atsiaya

He was a supervisor of a construction site 15 years ago, but now he owns one of the leading construction firms in Eldoret town.

Clement Bowen has risen from scratch to be one of the most sought after contractors in the area, which is one of the fastest growing urban centres in the country.

Mr Bomen started Bowen Building Contractors Kenya Ltd 11 years ago.

A holder of a diploma in Building and Civil Engineering from Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology in Nakuru, Bowen is a story of excellence in the industry in the North Rift town.

A resident of Koibatek in Nakuru County, Bowen attributes his success to sheer hard work and resilience even in the toughest of times.

Today, Bowen Building Contractors Ltd is valued at Sh10 million, and retains 10 permanent staff and 90 casuals.

Won hearts

The firm is credited with pioneering a 24-hour project works on sites in the town.

"This made me win hearts of many property developers, including athletes, who are investing in real estate in the town," says the 48-year old widower and father of three.

"Thanks to our 24-hour approach to project works, we can now compete with more established and heavily capitalised contractors from outside the town."

The Sh80 million Saito Centre with seven floors in the heart of Eldoret constructed by Clement Bowen. [PHOTOS: PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD]

very high," he adds.

As the project got under way after signing the deal with the client, post-election violence broke out.

"We had to stop work on the site for security reasons and after the skirmishes, it was hard sticking to set timelines," he says.

24-hour schedule

"This is the time I introduced the China-inspired 24-hour work schedule."

Thanks to a step initially taken as merely remedial, Bowen was able to complete the work within the time stipulated in the deal with the client.

Although initially expensive, Bowen used the system to target other clients, a move that paid off handsomely.

He has since executed several other projects including construction of police posts in areas that were hard hit by skirmishes.

Today, with Eldoret safely in his fold, Bowen is priming his sights on other regions. He also hopes to further his education as he expands his company.