Meet Lucy Muchemi, a plumber breaking stereotypes
What you need to know:
- Lucy Muchemi is the executive director of Mavens Plumbers, a company she founded in 2016,
- It has not always been rosy for Lucy in the male-dominated field, but challenges and obstacles have been her learning points.
- She is keen on mentoring up-and-coming women plumbers to avail themselves of the opportunities in the industry.
Lucy Muchemi sits at her corner office desk, smiling as she stares intently at her laptop, perhaps thinking of her next big project. She is full of ideas, and it shows. Mounted on one wall are decorative shelves she has made using pipes and wood. She says she experiments with epoxy resin (an adhesive) to see if it can be a better alternative for wood.
Ms Muchemi is the executive director of Mavens Plumbers, a company she founded in 2016, and manages 13 employees. But were it not for her father, today she would be running around in a hospital as a nurse, attending to patients. After sitting her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam, she did not qualify for direct university entry. And as devastated as she was, her father challenged her to pursue a diploma course. Nursing popped into her mind, but her father told her to select something different.
During a search, she stumbled on civil engineering. It sounded fanciful and got her father’s instant approval. She did not anticipate how difficult the course would get at Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology, where she was the only female student in her class.
“I think my biggest struggle was that I did not fully understand the nature of the course. It took me three months to settle.”
At one point, she entertained the thought of quitting, but her mother’s motivation kept the dream alive. After completing college, she unsuccessfully tried to secure a job. A year later, she decided to return to school, this time for a diploma in technical education from the Kenya Teachers Training College.
Plumbing journey
Shortly after completing the programme, she secured her first job at a plumbing company, which exposed her to the basics of plumbing, including installation of pipes and drainages, site inspection and tendering. After two years, she moved on to a pipe-manufacturing company, which enhanced her knowledge of technical drawing and drafting of contracts. She later joined another plumbing company and grew to become a project manager. After working for about five years, she desired to create something for herself. So she founded Mavens Plumbers.
It has not always been rosy, but challenges and obstacles have been her learning points. As she began her business, she expected to be paid on time by clients, but that was not always the case. To counter this, she adopted measures that cushioned the firm whenever payments were delayed.
Ms Muchemi showcases samples of decorative wall shelving during an interview at her office in Upper Hill, Nairobi, on March 16, 2023.
Some of her previous employees once robbed the company, causing her losses and stress. She recruited a new team, and the company is now more productive. She often took on many projects concurrently, but that would drain her. And as a change of tack, she is now more intentional about the projects she takes up.
Through it all, she maintains that integrity keeps the wheels turning. And it has paid big for her. Her former colleagues have always referred her to new opportunities, which have led to the growth she is experiencing.
Inspiration
Last year, she secured her largest contract yet. She also shared her skills in a programme called the PropelA, which is revolutionising technical and vocational education and training in Kenya by providing students with dual training to address a shortage of technical skills in electrical and plumbing installation and maintenance.
“Students get on-the-job training in companies alongside theoretical learning, which makes them more marketable as they possess the required skills.”
Ms Muchemi has created a path where none existed. Her biggest wish is to support younger people to have an easier time. “It has taken me 15 years to get to where I am, as I had no one to hold my hand. That is why I am passionate about making a difference in my small way. In particular, I have identified one lady called Jennifer. Seeing her drive, I am confident she will do well. I hope to take her to the next plumbing level, show her how to look for work, do quotes, or even run her own business.”
Besides mentorship, she visits technical institutions, such as National Industrial Training Authority, to identify gaps and develop a programme enabling more students to interact better with the industry.
For Ms Muchemi, the future can only get better. She completed her bachelor’s degree in project management in 2014. She plans to do a master’s course in the same field and believes the only way for women to succeed and earn respect in a technical field is to hone their skills.
“The market’s competitiveness does not accord you favours simply because you are a woman. You have to be resilient. When a man does it twice, be prepared to work four times harder to ensure you do not fall behind.”
