With COVID-19 disrupting daily life and work throughout Kenya in 2020, it made equipment repairs all the more difficult. But for two engineers from the Mantrac Kenya team, it wasn’t just the global pandemic that posed a threat. A customer’s location could be just as risky...
It was early in the global pandemic when Carolus Lombo and Felix Mandila travelled to the Nyongoro area of Witu in Lamu County to carry out inspection on two D6T and one D6M Track-Type Tractors for our customer, Better Globe Forestry. But getting there wasn’t easy.
Terrorists, police and heavy rain
The location of the customer’s equipment is very close to the Boni forest, one of the high-risk areas in Kenya where Al Shabaab militants hide out and, is therefore prone to terrorist attacks. With the help of police to escort them across some sections on the way to the site, the team were committed to supporting Better Globe Forestry. They followed all safety measures advised by the Mantrac safety officer as well as guidance from the security team at the customer site.
On top of such potentially dangerous circumstances, Carolus and Felix faced restrictions in place due to COVID-19, including a movement restriction, daily curfew, medical tests and several police roadblocks along the way. Once in the area, accessing the machines themselves meant travelling through flooded roads due to heavy rain – so bogged down that they were forced to use a tractor to tow their vehicle out of deep mud.
On arrival they were forced to take cover under a tree and inside the machines, which provided much needed respite from the relentless rain and wind.
Putting in the work
With the customer was on a tight schedule and needing the machines back in operation as soon as possible, Carolus and Felix worked over a public holiday, Madaraka Day, to get the job done. And due to the severe conditions in which the repairs were carried out, they worked endlessly through the week.
Ken Lairangi, Service Operations Manager at Mantrac Kenya, said: “Carolus and Felix are selfless employees who are always ready to deploy no matter the customer location. The dedication and sacrifice to work through very severe conditions makes them exemplary.”
As a result of Carolus and Felix’s inspection efforts, the team at Mantrac Kenya won new work worth approximately $60,000 for the engine overhaul of all three machines, reconditioning and repairs of the cooling system, and repairs of the lift cylinders and equaliser bar.
One happy customer
Feedback from Better Globe Forestry was extremely positive, stating that they appreciated the professionalism and support given by Mantrac. Initially, they were engaging third party mechanics who cost them a lot of money and yet, were still not able to resolve the problem. By the end of the visit, our engineers had the machines up and running again, and even managed to clear some bush during testing!
This just goes to show that we are always the best option for our customers; we know the machines and have the expertise, technical skills and passion to do the job right to ensure our customers’ success.