At 39, David Mathu is perhaps one of the youngest CEOs in the country. The professional quantity surveyor (QS) is the CEO of the National Housing Corporation (NHC), which is at the heart of President William Ruto’s affordable housing programme.
He has worked for the government for 14 years, starting as a senior QS before rising the ranks to become the CEO of the corporation that targets to build 110,000 affordable houses in the next five years, about a tenth of the total affordable housing units that President Ruto targets to complete by the end of 2027.
Mr Mathu, who takes pride in his rise from a humble background, was on Wednesday named the co-winner for the African Business Leaders of the Year Award (AABLA) 2024 in London.
He sat down with Business Daily to discuss the recognition and his efforts to re-engineer NHC as vehicle for the President’s affordable programme.
How does it feel being the only young man in a boardroom?
I come from a humble background. I was raised by a single mother in Kipipiri in a one room, four-by-four, mud-walled, grass-thatched house.
Although all of us in the village were poor, my family was the poorest. That alone motivated me to do well in life and change my family's fortune. And I did quite well, from primary to the university.
As a young CEO you face pressure. The society, naturally, doesn’t believe in young people. You can have an elderly person who is not competent but because of the age, it is believed that the person will perform well.
As a CEO you are expected to deliver one of the signature projects for President William Ruto, which means a lot of focus on your office. How has it been so far?
I have worked for government for quite some time. I clocked 14 years, last June. I started at Public Works as a young QS and worked my way up. I majorly focused on State House projects and projects related to National Assembly. Then I transitioned to National Construction Authority, starting as an officer. By 2018, I was the general manager.
And that's how I would imagine I got prepared for the current role. I focused majorly on capacity building, skills transfer, research, business development and consultancy.
I came to the housing sector when the President [William Ruto] was coming in. Obviously, I had read his manifesto, and therefore I knew it was only a matter of time before he gives directives on how we are going to implement affordable housing. So, I was prepared when the CS asked me to do a write-up on my preparedness because NHC was at the core of implementing.
But internally I had challenges because our staff motivation was at the lowest point, yet these are the people who are supposed to implement affordable housing. I quickly reorganised management and go the right people in decision making positions.
By just elevating the critical technical people, immediately we started seeing positive results in terms of project success. And that might explain why for example, a project like Homa Bay has outdone itself. It has done so well. Today we have sold over 50 percent of those houses.
How did you reconcile the need to put your office in order and urgently deliver President Ruto’s affordable housing programme?
I would say I've done both simultaneously. But it can get better.
When I joined NHC, during my final interview, I remember telling the board categorically that my vision for the corporation would be a pyramid of 3 Ps.
At the bottom of the pyramid are the people. Because the centre must hold, processes are at the centre of the pyramid. These processes include both procurement processes and business re-engineering. And finally, the project, which is the product the President promised Kenyans must be delivered.
But as a young manager I knew for us to produce the at the apex, because at the apex that's where every Kenyan sees houses, the base must be stable enough. And the base is where we needed to panel beat the office.
How does all this fit into this award that you have been given?
I received the award on behalf of my people. It's my people who have driven all the change and the growth that is being realised in NHC, and that is why we were awarded. I was only awarded as a team leader. Otherwise, the work has been achieved by a team of excellent and very hardworking people. And it is important to note, I haven't changed anyone. The people who are currently working for NHC are the same people I found working at NHC. The only thing they have changed is their mindset. I've only shared with them a new vision.
Our vision is to do 110,000 units in the next five years, which means about 10 percent of President Ruto’s vision will be realised by the NHC. Even coordinating and managing 100,000 units should need project managers.
I am happy to note, that I went in when our profitability was going down. We have been able to reverse that trend.
