Renee Ngamau, the co-founder of Checkups Medical and one of the founders behind The Arena: Founders’ Battlefield, has challenged Kenyan entrepreneurs to confront the deep-rooted trust crisis affecting local businesses.

Speaking on Biashara Tuesday at Radio 47, Ngamau emphasized that law, trust, and ethics are the true foundations of sustainable business growth.

“As business owners, we go through many challenges, but one of our biggest problems is that we do not trust ourselves. We don’t believe in ourselves as Kenyans that is why we install CCTV everywhere. Trust and ethics are fundamental in business,” she said.

Ngamau observed that Kenya’s struggle to build strong multinational companies is closely tied to this lack of trust.

“We allow people from outside to invest, but we hesitate to trust our own. We don’t trust ourselves enough to invest, to market, and to bring in more customers so that the business can grow. This is a national crisis,” she noted.

She urged business owners to be transparent and consistent in their dealings with employees, suppliers, and customers.

“Be clear with your employees and your suppliers and your customers. And remember to be ethical in business,” she stressed.

According to Ngamau, ethical conduct must begin from within. “The only way to reverse this is for me, my suppliers, my managers, and my own employees to be ethical. If someone comes to my business looking for a service, there should be no brown envelopes, no meeting behind tents. The price is the price, and the quality will not be compromised.”

She also advised entrepreneurs to consider key factors such as convenience when starting new ventures, while holding firmly to their values.

“Heroism is being able to live through something and still hold on to your morals, values, and ethics, even when everything around you is telling you to bend,” she said.

Ngamau concluded by calling on Kenyans to take personal responsibility for change. “It starts with us by rescuing ourselves.”