Women have proved to be good managers and this is evidenced by those holding leadership positions in bluechip companies. Canna Maize flour is another success story and under its able leadership is a wife, mother and entrepreneur.
In this article, WoK brings you the story of Agnes Irungu – the woman behind Giant Millers Limited which produces the popular Canna Maize flour brand.
Agnes Irungu
She is a wife to ex-Kigumo Member of Parliament and Jubilee party gubernatorial candidate in Muranga county Jamleck Irungu Kamau alias ‘Kabisa Kabisa.’ She began her career journey In August 1995 at Bollore Africa Logistics where she spent 16 years working in different positions such as admin, purchasing and Human Resource.
She left the company in July 2011 to join Walkers International (K) Limited as the Managing Director (MD). In October 2014, she was promoted to a CEO. She entered the entrepreneurial world in April 2016, when she founded Elegant Tiles & Décor Centre Limited. Following the success of her first business venture she went on to establish Giant Millers Limited in November 2019 with the help of her husband.
Also Read: Tycoons Who Own The Leading Maize Millers In Kenya
Agnes has also volunteered in the past in different organizations including the public relations department of the National Assembly Lady spouses Association of Kenya, Chairperson of the Relay for Life Kenya and Kenya Cancer Association (KenCASA).
Giant Millers Limited
Giant Millers Limited is a maize flour manufacturing company with its headquarters in Thika, Kiambu County. The company’s most popular product is the Canna maize flour which was first introduced to the market in 2020.
While speaking during an exclusive interview with foodbusinessafrica.com, Agnes revealed that her husband Jamleck Kamau was very instrumental in helping her establish the company.
“Starting a mill requires more than just the love for ugali. There was wide consultation, especially with people in the milling industry to determine the viability of the business and what was needed to set up one. My husband was a very critical player during the project conceptualization stage. He has a wide pool of friends and associates that were able to give us a lot of information in the manufacturing industry,” she explained.
She revealed that part of their success at Giant Millers limited is as a result of reducing the number of human labor needed by automating the whole milling plant. This has in turn reduced the risk of contamination, which is usually high when human interaction is present.
“Our mill is fully automated. Everything is done in the control room and only a few tasks require manual labor. Automation reduces movement in the production floor which gives the team ample time to concentrate on milling. The beauty of automation also is the high level of safety that comes with it. Everywhere in the mill, including the packaging section, machines carry out various tasks in the process,” she revealed.
Agnes Irungu serves as the company’s Managing Director while her husband Jamleck Irungu Kamau serves as the Chairman.
