More than a decade ago, popular Kenyan businesswoman Damaris Wanjiru Muriithi, founder of Dama Mobile Spares, was earning Ksh 7,000 a month as a shop attendant selling mobile phone accessories in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
Today, the woman popularly known as Dama Wa Spares is one of the biggest players in Kenya’s mobile phone spare parts industry, running a thriving business that employs more than 100 people.
Her rise from humble beginnings to becoming a household name in the mobile phone business is a story of determination, calculated risk-taking and an unwavering belief in her abilities.
Damaris Wanjiru Muriithi: Profile of Dama Mobile Spares Founder, Who Built Kenya’s Mobile Spare Parts Empire
Born in Nakuru County, Damaris Wanjiru is the firstborn in a family of five. She completed her secondary education in 2009 before moving to Kirinyaga County to help her aunt with farming.
A year later, her aunt helped her secure a job at a local shopping centre where she sold airtime and charged mobile phones for customers, earning just Ksh 1,500 a month.
The modest job would become her first step into the mobile phone industry.
“I ventured into the phone industry in 2009 after completing high school. At that time, I lived in Kirinyaga with my aunt, and while there I got a job selling airtime and charging mobile phones for clients at a fee. So, I have an extensive background in the phone industry,” she said.
Learning the Business
In 2012, Damaris Wanjiru moved to Nairobi and got a job as a shop attendant selling mobile phone accessories along Luthuli Avenue, one of the country’s busiest electronics markets.
Her salary was Ksh 7,000 a month. Two years later, she joined another shop on Munyi Road, where she earned Ksh 30,000 a month.
The new role proved to be a turning point. “In my new workplace, I was running most of the business operations, which helped me to quickly learn the ropes of the business,” she said.
Her hard work and commitment soon paid off. Within two years, her salary had risen to Ksh 80,000.
But by then, she had set her sights on something bigger. “My boss gave me the freedom to run everything, and I knew all the operations of the business. That was when I decided that I could run the business on my own,” she said.
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Taking the Leap
After learning everything about the business, she resigned from her work in 2016 and went ahead to establish her own business.
She searched for a shop and imported her first batch of mobile spare parts from Dubai since she had already gotten the necessary contacts from her previous job.
Dama explained that at first her small imports were not able to meet the market demand, and she was forced to source goods from a local supplier.
“I would buy from the local supplier to meet the customer demand, and they would sell me at a fair price, getting a very minimal profit margin that allowed me to maintain my customers,” commented Dama.
She relied on the networks and connections she had built over the years to source stock and attract customers. The gamble paid off.
Within six months, she had opened a second branch. It was only a matter of time before she outpaced many of her competitors and established herself as one of Nairobi’s leading mobile phone spare parts dealers.
The Secret Behind Damaris Success
Dama attributes her success to her deep understanding of the business and her determination to meet customer needs.
Her stores stock spare parts for nearly every phone brand on the market, including screens, camera lenses, charging systems, mouthpieces, earpieces and batteries.
However, she deliberately chose not to venture into selling mobile phones and accessories, preferring to specialize in spare parts.
She also ensures her stores are always stocked with the latest spare parts.
“Whenever a new phone hits the market, I know I’ll be seeing customers asking for spare parts soon. So, I make sure I’m the first to stock them,” she said.
Marketing has also played a major role in her growth. She has invested heavily in social media campaigns, influencer marketing, billboards and advertising in local media.
She also tailors her stock to suit different markets. In Northeastern Kenya, where customers prefer premium brands such as iPhones and Samsung Z Fold devices, her stores stock more high-end spare parts.
In western Kenya, she targets customers using more affordable phone brands.
According to her, one of the biggest mistakes a business owner can make is failing to meet customer demand.
“I don’t want to be the person who tells a customer, ‘Sorry, we don’t have that product.’ That’s a failure in my eyes,” she said.
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Challenges Along the Way
Success, however, has not come without sacrifice. Dama says balancing business and personal life has been one of her greatest challenges.
“That’s why you find that most successful women are single. They are not single because of their fault or because they cannot sustain a marriage. No. It’s because men have a negative mindset that successful women are stubborn and cannot be submissive,” she said.
She added that growing a business is difficult without a supportive partner and that, for her, business has often taken precedence over relationships.
In 2024, she won two awards at the Starbrands Awards, being named Kenya’s Most Trusted and Reliable Quality Mobile Spare Dealer and Business Icon of the Year.
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