Nicholus Okach Ondego, Founder and Group CEO of Omoh Homes, shares his journey from being an architect to becoming a leader in affordable housing across Africa. With a background in project funding and investment, he launched Omoh Homes to address the housing crisis in Africa through innovative financing solutions. His personal mission, rooted in a family experience, drives his passion for helping low-income families become homeowners. Under his leadership, Omoh Homes is preparing for a major IPO and continues to impact thousands by offering affordable, quality housing across the continent. He have describes himself as a Focused person.
Background and Vision
We started the interview by asking, “Explain your background and your firms in detail.”
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “I am the Founder and Group C.E.O of Omoh Homes which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Omoh Group Holdings Limited. I am an Architect by profession with an extensive investment and financial background in Project funding and Investor relations. I’m also the Group Executive Director – East African Region for the Royal Address Limited and a member of the Board. He is also a Managing Director of two (2) companies namely, Omoh Group Holding Limited and Nix Capital Group Limited. I’m a Financial Expert and Advisor with cognate experience in international and corporate business. I have also acquired immense managerial, marketing and negotiation skills in my career as an investment advisor.
As a business entrepreneurial leader with strong passion for excellence, I have managed through a Middle Eastern conglomerate to secure a multi-billion-dollar investment funding for the One Member One House Affordable Housing program dubbed the OMOH Project initiative to be developed across 35 countries across the African continent, in East Africa, West Africa and Southern African regions in in which various governments and relevant state agencies have already designated land for their respective projects.
I am also an accomplished executive and a skilled manager. I do possesses excellent business acumen, goal-setting capabilities and is skilful in defining company direction, exceeding targets and developing sustainable business through effective leadership, this led to his appointment as the Investment and Trade Ambassador by His Royal Majesty Togbuiga Sri Kponoe III for the ANLO KINGDOM.
Goals and Strengths of OMOH Homes
The Worlds Times: What are your goals? And what do you feel is the biggest strength of “OMOHHOMES” right now?
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “My main goal as the C.E.O of Africa’s leading real estate company within the affordable housing sector is to Make Home ownership a Reality to the masses across Africa.
At Omoh Homes we seek to leverage cutting edge building technology and adopting sustainable methods that minimizes the cost of construction and ultimately have a huge impact on the cost of a developed unit, hence enabling us achieve our main mission of not only offering affordability but also modest living at no extra cost. Simply put we pride ourselves at cost optimization.”
Nicholus Okach Ondego’s Journey
The Worlds Times: What was the path you took to get to where you are today?
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “My journey to get to where I am today started out during my early employment years when I was working as an assistant Architect which when I would be assigned a particular design project I would work tirelessly to see the design successfully submitted and approved only for the project to be shelved. I remember this would greatly disturb me and I would inquire only to be told that due to lack of funds the project had to be shelved. Hence that’s when my journey into the world of project finance was birthed and the rest is history and here we are today. Later, on I desired not only to be involved with projects that focused solely on profits but ones that would also have an impact and since housing is a basic human right and millions of across the continent lack proper housing, I decided that I will make it my mission to not only tackle the housing crisis but also to find sustainable ways of getting it done. Hence, ever since then I have been fully committed and passionate about championing affordable housing projects.”
The Inspiration Behind OMOH Homes
The Worlds Times: Why did you start “OMOHHOMES”?
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “Personally, when I was a young entrepreneur starting out and trying my hands in all sorts of trade to earn a living and challenging myself, I came across a certain business opportunity in 2012 which I later got to convince my Dad to use our House as collateral in order to take out a loan to finance the business. We used to live in a fairly modest neighbourhood estate (Komarock Phase 3A – Hse. No. 533) and my Dad was among the beneficiaries of affordable housing back then in 1999, when he used to work as Telkom employee. Unfortunately, the business didn’t pan out and I lost my Dad’s house to auctioneers, since then I vowed to myself and said, “I will endeavour to redeem my Father’s house at all cost.” Long story short, I didn’t manage to redeem my Father’s house but in retrospect when I look at it, this incident of losing my Father’s House to auctioneers somehow laid the foundation for me to be doing what I am doing today, making my positive contribution by tackling the housing crisis for millions of families across the Africa. In a sense through OMOH HOMES I am somehow in a sense still redeeming my Father’s House, so I guess I’ll only stop till every family gets a decent roof over their heads. Therefore OMOH HOMES to me is the only way I could ever pay back my Father who took a gamble on me back then and LOST, however his loss was a blessing in disguise that led to millions of Families becoming home owners courtesy of OMOH HOMES affordable housing program dubbed One Member One House Project initiative. To date my Father is so proud of me that he took a chance on me and looking back he doesn’t regret it.”
Overcoming Obstacles
The Worlds Times: What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome during the journey of your leadership?
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “One of the biggest challenges for every aspiring Entrepreneur is usually getting to take the FIRST STEP and that is the same for me. I figured in every endeavour worth taking almost all of them do possesses a unique set of challenges with every step of the way. Therefore, the most important attribute that any Leader MUST possess no matter what challenges they face is to always have the “CAN-DO MENTALITY”. This is because the way the Universe has been designed is that anything that has potential must go through a refining process for it to really be valuable enough to fulfil its purpose, same for humans same for nature hence the so called challenges.”
Championing Affordable Housing
The Worlds Times: What do you value the most about “OMOHHOMES” vision?
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “One unique thing about OMOH HOMES vision is changing the narrative when it comes to home ownership, that even the low income earners can actually have access to decent shelter and become home owners.”
Resilience and Optimism
(Real Estate Awards) (Most Promising Affordable Housing)
The Worlds Times: What are the key values which helped you to overcome the challenges in your path? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership?
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “I’m an eternal optimist, I always believe that bad things can happen to anyone there are no exceptions but when they do it’s not that you have been singled out by the universe for some punishment due or that karma has visited the sins of your forefathers upon you ….No! Instead I tend to look at it as a challenge by the universe to test your resolve towards you achieving your goals and living the life of your dreams against all odds and that somehow what seems like a MINUS at that moment will eventually add up into a huge PLUS down line if you don’t give up.
One of my memorable incidents in my entrepreneurship journey as a leader is when I got to be feted my First award as the OMOH HOMES, C.E.O at the Digitally Fit Awards as the Person of the Year in the Real Estate Visionaries category and also at the 8TH Edition Real Estate 100 Awards in which OMOH HOMES was recognized for its contribution in driving innovation in the Affordable Housing space in Kenya. Lastly, I’m also set to represent Kenya in the upcoming East Africa Digital Awards. These are among several memorable incidents and I believe there are plenty more to come since we are just getting started.”
Vision for Growth
The Worlds Times: How do you see the “OMOHHOMES” changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “As OMOH HOMES we are is the process of laying down the path for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) at the New York Stock Exchange within the next two years and as the C.E.O I’m working tirelessly to see that it’s successfully launched.”
Empowering Communities
The Worlds Times: What benefits are people getting from “OMOHHOMES” in this competitive world?
Nicholus Okach Ondego replied, “The lower middle class and especially slum dwellers that comprise a majority of the bottom of the pyramid category are accessing quality and decent housing at no extra cost. This is having a huge impact considering in a Country like Kenya where the annual housing deficit is 250,000 per annum against a puny supply of 50,000 per annum.”
Creating Lasting Impact
Lastly we asked, “Would you like to say anything else to our viewers?”
“Every Human being here on Earth has a purpose and limitless potential, which means that each and every individual has a God given mandate to not only manifest their potential but also a personal responsibility to ensure that they die empty.” Nicholus Okach Ondego Concluded
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