Alex Nyaga: CEO with passion for the arts

Alex didn’t go after the flamboyant business ideas. He wanted to clean after people. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, but 15 years later he is happy how it all turned out.

Parapet Cleaning Service has surprised many. With not less than 2,000 employees, scattered all over the country including Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa and Kisumu, the company has become one of the leading professional cleaning service organisations in the region with an impressive portfolio of major premium clients, not to mention it being one of the top 100 mid-sized companies in Kenya.

Here is something that might speak for the company’s ethos of their service. While I wait for him, for this interview, his PA deploys someone to clean my car without my prompting. Later we talk about success and God.

How does a success story like this start?

It starts by thinking outside the box. I was back from my studies in hotel management in Switzerland. I needed to start something that wasn’t being done, but one that was in my line.

Who was your first client?

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Really? How many strings did you pull to land that contract? Who did you know?

Believe it or not, I didn’t have to do a thing. We saw the advert in the newspaper, we didn’t even know it was for JKIA; we were just shooting in the dark. We tendered and were awarded. That simple. But I will tell you what it really was. It was the hand of God. That’s the only way I can explain it.

And over time we have gotten many contracts that we didn’t imagine we would get. This is definitely the work of a higher being because it was short of a miracle. And because of that we have expanded from 80 members of staff to 2,000 now.

We also opened a hospitality school in town called Parapet Hospitality and Business School, now two- years- old.

I take it that you are born- again?

(Laughs) Yes. I am. I’m very spiritual. Our team here is also very prayerful, our members of staff share the same spiritual convictions. The business is about hard work, but it’s also about God.

Since you are the cleaning guy, on a scale of one to ten, how clean are you?

I’m a stickler for cleanliness, almost anal about it. I’m a neatness freak, if you will.

Do you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; you keep white sheets and white towels and arrange your shoes according to their height of soles?

(Laughs) No, I’m perhaps only a mild case of that. Cleanliness is an image of oneself. If you aren’t clean you make the wrong impression and lose respect. Personal grooming is key, especially in my business. I like things orderly, organised, I think it depicts one’s character.

I bet you drive your wife up the wall!

(Laughs) No. I think in marriage you just learn to live with each other.

That’s an interesting piece of art behind your desk. Are you an art lover?

Thanks. I got it from Thailand, about 12 years ago. I love art. I also love music. I’m a deejay as well.

Is that right? Where do you play?

In my house. (Laughs). With my family as the audience. But of course I also play at odd family parties. One day I hope to join a proper deejay school.

Or you could just open a deejay school.

(Laughs) Anyway, I like music. It’s a stress reliever. I don’t often go out to hang with my friends, or stay out late, so this is a great way to de-stress.

What else do you do on your downtime?

I play golf at Karen club. I’m not so good at it, although I’m working on it. I have a mad work schedule and I try to take Thursday afternoon for myself. I think everybody needs it.

You have two sons – aged nine and four years – are you proud at how you are raising them and which areas do you need to work on?

The major challenge is to juggle work and family time, and I think most people like me will agree. But it’s about prioritising because we work for our families but it won’t make sense if we don’t spend anytime with them. I’m happy with the way the boys are growing up. They are fantastic; they are respectful and handsome.

Obviously they pick their good looks from their mother.

(Laughs hard) But I played a role too, surely!

You sound too clean. What’s your evil? I need something here to humanise you.

I have a fetish for ties. And watches. OK, not any more. I stopped buying them at some point. I have over 200 ties and 50 watches. And they are not all expensive watches, if I saw a watch I liked or a tie I liked, I would buy them. I’m into fashion, yes. I try to keep up with the trends. My wife is a fashionista, so is my mom.

The one person you would have dinner with, and what would you order?

Richard Branson. I’d like to know how he could build such a massive business empire and still the time to have such fun! I would order steak. I like steak.

Are you a book guy?

No. I don’t read books.

Gadgets, maybe?

Yes, I like anything by Apple. I use Apple products, from phone to laptop to tablet. I’m not a car person though; I only need a car that is reliable. My preference of a car has always been a BMW.

What’s your drink of choice?

I love Gin and Tonic.

A traditional drink. Does it speak into your conservatism?

(Laughs) No, I don’t think so.

Hang on, how come you drink and you are born again?

It’s not wrong. It’s only occasionally and it’s always on moderation.