By Peter K’opiyo
Women on the wheels! This time on twos.
Well, it is not the normal twos you may tend to imagine, it is the heavy off-road beast. She runs the show, enjoying her ride and having marvelous adventure experiences.
I’m sharing my genial conversation with one Freda Kagwiria Murungi, an intrepid adventurer, passionate award-winning biker, an experienced chemical engineer, Liquefied Natural Gas/Liquified Petroleum Gas pundit and a beneficent philanthropist.
Cheerful Kagwiria shares her experience off-road with the robust wheels, how she manages her career, and beloved family.
Her openness enriches a cheerful dialogue, making it even more inviting. In part one of this profile feature, we unveil her professional journey and the way she manages her chores as a dedicated mother, as an intent engineer and a committed adventurer.
Career Pathway
For many decades, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) were left for the masculine to command.
However, here comes Kagwiria Murungi with a wealth of experience in the male-dominated industry. She opens the lid on how she ended up in her current field and future prospects she foresees.
“I wanted to be a doctor, because my mother is a doctor. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the required cluster points to pursue a medicine course and become one. With that effect, the next logical thing looked like engineering. Surprisingly, I knew nothing about it, it just looked like the next in line for me,” she narrated.
“I then picked on the petroleum option, which I can’t tell you there was a well-thought-out idea about, I just went for it, passionately pursued it, came out and tarmacked like everyone else does. I don’t know about now but for the longest time, I was the only female LPG engineer in the country who would do installations and other technical aspects of LPG. I actually had no idea until someone told me that I was the only one in the country.”
She rose through the ranks, gradually but surely. Dropping her documents, receiving an unknown number phone call for a life-changing conversation that she appreciates for her almost two decades of expertise.
“Somewhere in the industrial area, Nairobi, I went into a certain small company, put across my papers and left. Fortunately, the owner of the company happened to be a chemical engineer. He called me and was like, I would want to give you a chance to train you on LPG. That is why you would see that I am an LPG technical expert. I have 17 years’ experience doing LPG only. He gave me a chance and I started from the store where you issue pipes and fittings,” she stated.
The mother of two adds that she was put in a sweaty capital, with vivid memories of impactful conversations with her former boss who played a pivotal role in shaping her career.
“He told me that he knew I was fresh from campus and felt that I was more of a chemical engineer and I really resented him for that. But he told me this is the way you are going to understand what is needed, and be able to escalate to troubleshooting levels and that is what actually did happen. I rose from the stores, to a fitter who would build installations and terminals and then a project lead and now I’m able to sit at the table making government policies and setting standards for this country,” declared the chemical engineer.
Having been enthusiastic and rich in experience, this would not have been complete without bringing on board changes and transitions of the world, especially on matters technology and climate action as much as fuels are concerned.
“The world is moving and the conversations we are having right now revolve around Net 0 and we are very sensitive to climate change. LPG and LNG come in as a very transitional fuel from the typical fossil fuels that are biomass, firewood and charcoal,” she said, adding that although they are hydrocarbons, they have been recognized as clean energy because they don’t give us as many deposits as the typical fossil fuels.
Kagwiria revealed that partnerships, collaborations, innovations and technological advancements in the energy sector, give birth to job opportunities that also play key roles in giving societal solutions.
“They have brought opportunities. For instance, there is the auto gas, so we have automobiles using LPG/LNG for propulsion hence a gradual change from diesel and petrol. Ships that ferry LPG also use it. Some generators too use LPG. On the other hand, cross industry synergies create very interesting and vast opportunities. A good example is the affordable housing projects in the country. You cannot imagine people shuffling cylinders in 13 or so floors so we have gas piped into apartments and this is one major chance,” he remarked.
In all she does, one thing seems to keep her thoughtful, handing over to the next generation. She would wish to extend a hand and exit the stage a proud queen who would have left an indelible mark.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “the future depends on what you do today.” Most likely, she has thought of what to do for the future today.
“I do feel that I have amassed quite a bit of knowledge up to this point with a lot more to learn going forward. I feel I truly carry a burden of how do I then disseminate the knowledge that I have to help build capacity to the ones behind me because it doesn’t make sense to go home with all this wealth of experience. The burden I have now is on seeking to hand over clean fuss so that I can transition and go home knowing that I have left behind a capable team. How do I help build capacity for the people coming after me?” she paused.
Kagwiria during one of her rides. Photo/Courtesy
Managing Career, family and biking.
Jovial Kagwiria keeps the interview incredibly upbeat even as she affirms that the word balance appears nowhere in her vocabulary, but her schedules work perfectly well for her.
“There is nothing like balance in my life at all. I get that question frequently and I just don’t know how to react to it,” Kagwiria revealed gladly.
She describes her support system as unwavering and reliable, attributing it to the successful trips she has gone without any hiccups especially on the safety of both her children and her home.
“When I am away on the road, I have a very, very, good support system. It’s a rare privilege. I’ve had my domestic manager for nearly eight years now and I also have friends who will come, check up on my kids and take care of the home; they help me function when I’m away so that is a golden privilege.”
When not on the road, her family becomes first priority. While at work, she diligently discharges her duties, a trait that has made her earn a maiden slot of trust in her boss’s heart, enabling her to make three or four major rides annually.
“When I need to go on a major ride, I take my leave days because I’m blessed with a boss who understands with whom we can have a conversation. You must be able to have a good work ethic, support your boss and your team. Having an understanding boss doesn’t mean you chance upon them. I have to ensure I’m managing upwards, that is my boss, and downwards, that is my team. You have to be dependable,” she ascertained.
At work, she reveals having an option to delegate duties to her colleagues since she supervises nearly forty-four junior staff. She further notes that even if it would mean working extra hours or extra to reduce or do away with workloads and prevent backlogs, she will definitely hit the road with nothing pulling her back.
In part two of this feature, we will give you in detail her choice of bikes and locations, experiences, next intended destinations, how she managed to grab the 2024 regional female biker of the year award and the hidden philanthropy nobody knows about.