In the modern corporate and industrial landscape, success is rarely a matter of luck; it is a calculated blend of strategy, value creation, and resilience. Phyllis Wakiaga, a seasoned corporate executive and former CEO of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, embodies this philosophy. Her journey from the courtroom to the boardroom has been marked by a steadfast commitment to industrial advocacy and personal professional growth.
Through her work, Wakiaga emphasizes that whether one is navigating the complexities of the manufacturing sector or negotiating a career milestone, the core principle remains identical: you must know your value and communicate it through tangible impact.
The Imperative of Value Addition in Manufacturing
Kenya’s industrial path is paved with vast, untapped potential, particularly in the realm of value addition. For years, the country has exported raw materials, often at a fraction of their potential worth. Wakiaga notes, “Manufacturing is value addition. So if you’re adding value to a product, if for example, you take ground nuts, you fry them and you pack them, that’s value addition.” This is not merely an economic concept; it is a necessity for local growth. By transforming raw agricultural commodities—such as tea, coffee, and hides—into finished goods, Kenya can exponentially increase its earnings and create sustainable employment opportunities.
Despite this potential, local manufacturers grapple with a challenging environment. High operational costs, including energy and logistics, often make it difficult to compete with imported goods. Wakiaga addresses this by advocating for a strategic shift: “You have to work backwards first because you have to start from your raw material… Meaning you have to have offtake agreements with the farmers who have to plant the [produce] to the standard required.” By standardizing raw materials and leveraging trade agreements, local businesses can position themselves to compete effectively on both the domestic and international stages.
Navigating the Career Landscape: Negotiation as a Strategic Tool
Beyond industry, Wakiaga is a fervent advocate for professional empowerment. At Career Side, her initiative designed to mentor and coach professionals, she frequently observes a critical gap: the inability of many employees to effectively package their worth during salary negotiations. She stresses that negotiation should never be rooted in emotions or personal hardship, but rather in the cold, hard reality of the numbers you bring to the table.
“It’s not from a point of emotions that I deserve,” she explains. “It’s a point of value. And you must know your value. And that’s why one of the things we do is train. How do you package your value?” To Wakiaga, successful negotiation requires preparation. Employees must research market rates, identify their unique competencies, and demonstrate their contributions through data. “If you’re able to package that and tell your story in an interview, you’re selling your value and then if you’re able then to demonstrate it in the workplace… you can then negotiate for more.”
Bridging the Gap: Skills and Employability
The conversation around unemployment in Kenya is often misdirected toward a lack of jobs, whereas Wakiaga suggests the issue is frequently one of unemployability—the gap between the skills graduates possess and the requirements of a competitive industry. By focusing on mindset, vision, and action, Career Side aims to bridge this divide. Wakiaga highlights that “everything in the world is created twice: in your mind you must create it before it is built.” This vision, when coupled with the grit to take action, forms the backbone of a successful career.
The Path Forward
For Kenya to truly thrive, Wakiaga argues that we must embrace a multi-faceted approach. We need policy interventions that lower the cost of production to support local manufacturing, and simultaneously, we need a cultural shift where consumers take pride in locally manufactured goods. Furthermore, the burgeoning digital economy offers new avenues for job creation that should not be overlooked.
As we navigate an era of global economic uncertainty, Wakiaga’s insights offer a blueprint for progress. Whether it is through the strategic processing of agricultural goods or the intentional development of one’s career, the message is clear: intentionality, research, and a commitment to delivering measurable value are the true drivers of success. In her own words, “If you’re able to understand yourself, be able to package your value, define it… it gives you an edge to move in the direction of your purpose.”