The award-winning company Psalms Food Industries was born out of a serendipitous encounter during Dr. Dennis Ngabirano and his wife Maureen’s honeymoon trip to Mombasa, Kenya. They noticed a local vendor making raw banana chips – this sparked an innovative business idea in Dr. Ngabirano. It led to the establishment of Psalms Food, a thriving agro-food processing enterprise in Uganda.
In his current role as CEO, Dr. Ngabirano is steering Psalms Food Industries towards becoming a leading player in the food industry across East Africa and beyond.
The Step-by-Step Beginning
Dr. Ngabirano’s success story is remarkable because, prior to founding Psalms Food Industries in 2010, he had no entrepreneurial experience – yet he successfully built a thriving business from scratch. He became interested in entrepreneurship during his graduate studies at St. Lawrence University, where he was tasked with creating a business plan. Initially, he considered goat farming but abandoned the idea due to its high capital requirements.
Dr. Ngabirano married his fiancée, Maureen, before completing his course. While exploring the coastal city, they encountered a local vendor making raw banana chips by the roadside. Intrigued, they tasted the chips, which sparked a new business idea. Dr. Ngabirano recognised the potential for a similar venture in Uganda using ripe plantains, locally known as Gonja. Motivated by the uniqueness of the idea in his home country, he decided to turn it into reality. After returning to Uganda, he redefined his business plan to focus on producing Gonja crisps.
With just $12 to his name and kitchenware from their wedding gifts, he launched a small crisps processing operation on the verandah of his rented home in Nansana, a town on the outskirts of Kampala. Dr. Ngabirano initially sold the product at the university canteen and local shops. He recalls receiving positive feedback. According to him, encouraged by this success, he expanded the product line to include potato crisps, roasted peanuts, sim sim, chin chin, and eventually extruded snacks with assorted flavors.
Inspiration to Enter the Food Industry
While working as a primary school teacher in 2010, Dr. Ngabirano, who is also a counselling psychologist, noticed a significant gap in his home country’s food market. He noted that Kenyan brands dominated the Ugandan market, while the locally produced varieties fell short of meeting consumer standards. “Given my modest salary, this observation motivated me to start a side business to supplement my income,” Dr. Ngabirano says.
Psalms Food Industries – Leading Player in East Africa
Psalms Food Industries offers the best locally manufactured snacks, certified by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and the Uganda Halal Bureau of Standards. These snacks are strategically and competitively priced to ensure value for money.
The company espouses the core values of innovation, quality, customer care, and teamwork. These values have enabled it to build a sound reputation in the snacks business, leading to recognition and awards from prestigious entities.
“We stay focused on our vision and mission. We maintain integrity, respond quickly to customer queries, and never compromise on quality,” Dr. Ngabirano says. “In East Africa, Psalms is a household name because of all that.”
He is also excited about their largest snacks manufacturing factory in the region. “It feels good to be a leading player in the region,” he says. The new factory is equipped with state-of-the-art microbiology and chemistry laboratories. At the new facility, they have invested in a waste treatment plant as well.
Whereas they initially used firewood, they now use gas and briquettes as a strategy to reduce pollution in the atmosphere. Dr. Ngabirano says Psalms Food is fully behind the call to protect the environment. “When it comes to sustainability and environmental responsibility, these are integral to our business strategy,” he says. For example, they have partnered with organisations such as Rotary on tree-planting projects. Furthermore, as a company, they are committed to reducing carbon emissions and have adopted biodegradable packaging materials.
Starting from nothing, Psalms Food has experienced tremendous growth over the years. “The growth we have achieved as a company energises us,” Dr. Ngabirano says. “Each time we see an increase in sales or area coverage, we feel revitalised.”
Embracing Innovation
Under Dr. Ngabirano’s visionary leadership, Psalms Food has made significant investments in research and development. This has ensured that the company’s products excel in terms of packaging, taste, and pricing – fully meeting customer expectations. Also, about 14 years ago, Psalms Food offered just one product; today, it offers 21 products in various flavours. “That’s what we call innovation,” Dr. Ngabirano says.
He also points out that recently, their commitment to innovation and quality was recognised by the Ugandan authorities, who awarded them ISO certification. This makes Psalms Food the first snack manufacturing company in the country to achieve this distinction.
“Another innovation we have introduced is the implementation of environmentally friendly programmes,” Dr. Ngabirano says. Previously, they relied on firewood, but they have now shifted towards renewable energy sources. For example, they use plantain peels to make briquettes, which significantly reduces environmental degradation.
Dr. Ngabirano and his team have also developed the Backward Integration Programme. Through this initiative, they sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) directly with farmers, particularly women in rural Uganda, encouraging them to grow specific raw materials for the company. “This approach has effectively eliminated the problem of middlemen, making farmer exploitation a thing of the past,” Dr. Ngabirano says.
Balancing innovation with operational efficiency is undoubtedly challenging. “However, as CEO, I make it a point to be on the ground every day, ensuring that new innovations are implemented effectively while maintaining high production and quality standards,” Dr. Ngabirano says.
A Major Challenging – Staff Attrition
In the past, staff attrition was a major challenge for Dr. Ngabirano. Over the years, he and his company have learned to keep workers’ enthusiasm alive. They do so by offering their staff extra incentives like medical insurance and workman’s compensation. “This has improved staff retention,” Dr. Ngabirano says.
The company also offers scholarships to high-performing employees to study courses in food technology and human nutrition. “Personally, I am not a food scientist, but I am happy to say that we now have several food scientists at our factory,” Dr. Ngabirano says.
The Definition of Success
The definition of success varies from one CEO to another; Dr. Ngabirano, too, has his own unique perspective. To him, success is an intersection between opportunity and decision-making. As CEO, he measures success across several dimensions, including growth, customer satisfaction, and seeing new innovations being appreciated by consumers.
“I have been in the food processing business for fourteen years, and I have never received a food poisoning case brought before me,” Dr. Ngabirano says. “To me, that is a success.”
A Successful Leader’s Guiding Principles
Dr. Ngabirano works long hours. He usually begins his day at 5 a.m., and according to him, it sometimes ends at midnight. Throughout the day, he keeps abreast of everything happening on the production line as well as in the accounts department. He tends to be on top of everything that is happening within the company and in the market. Although he is surrounded by a strong team, he continues to play a central role in the success of Psalms Food.
Dr. Ngabirano believes that success attracts both detractors and well-wishers. He therefore stresses the importance of prayer in one’s life. He has also embraced a key principle that he considers crucial in the competitive business environment in which they operate: learning to act on priorities.
Another guiding principle of his is “Do not attempt to sprint before you have mastered walking.” Additionally, he strives to always maintain integrity.
Dr. Ngabirano believes that innovation requires a great deal of planning. “Some innovations may fail, some may succeed instantly, and others may take time to gain traction,” he points out. “As a leader, it is essential to maintain a clear focus on where you want to be within a set period,” he adds.
Upcoming Plans for the Company
Dr. Ngabirano informs that they have achieved most of their short-term goals. Their focus has now shifted to medium- and long-term objectives.
Dr. Ngabirano and his team are working on a franchising programme. They are currently identifying potential partners in both the South and North African regions. “We have seen this model succeed for companies like KFC,” Dr. Ngabirano explains. “Once we identify reliable partners whose interests align with our vision and mission, we aim to expand our reach beyond the East African region.”
Advice for Aspiring CEOs in the Food Industry
Dr. Ngabirano advises aspiring CEOs looking to make a mark in the food industry to exercise patience with their ideas before presenting them. “Take the time to think them through thoroughly and refine them as needed, while also striving for innovation,” he says.
In his message, he also points out that companies that fail to innovate risk becoming obsolete. He draws a comparison between Nokia’s fate and Apple’s approach. “Apple consistently unveils a new phone approximately every twelve months,” Dr. Ngabirano says. “So, I stress: keep innovating.”
