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George Wa Thika, A Young Man With A Great Vision.

Who is George Wa Thika?

George Githaiga is a businessman in Thika Town, and to be more specific, a Real Estate Agent and the C.E.O. Emerson Motors Ltd that imports and sells vehicles in Thika Town. I am a charismatic and jovial person who likes to network and meet new friends.

 

Briefly describe your journey to the top of the properties and vehicle business.

Immediately after school, I tried to eke a living just like everyone else. Initially it was not very easy to get a regular job. I used to tarmac and retire to my rented single room in Biafra Estate empty-handed. I can remember that I slept on the floor without even a mattress and many were those days that I was forced to skip some meals.

 

How then did you end up this successful?

After struggling for quite a while, I secured a job as a clerk in a property valuation firm. It was in this firm that I started learning a thing or two about brokerage. Through the various clients that frequented our office, I managed to sell a few properties that earned me some commission. By and by, I started accumulating some savings that I used to buy my first car which I later sold at a profit. This motivated me so much.

Eventually, through friends and the business partners I was working with, I was able to access more clients who translated to more sales and bigger profits. I started selling my own cars. Later, I partnered with a few friends who, together, we started our own Property Agency that we still partner to date.

 

Have you ever encountered any challenges in these ventures?

Of course! Just like any other business or work, we have their own ups and downs. There are times that the sales are low and at times you end up running at a loss. The bills and other charges that accompany this kind of business do not care whether you have made money or not. You must pay the bills and also seek ways to improve on your status.

I remember I started on a very low salary but that did not stop me from climbing the ladder.

 

What do you like about Thika town?

Oooh!  The people! Thika Town has a great crop of people; very friendly and lively. I hear people say ‘Kuingia Mombasa rahisikutoka ni gumu’. I believe the one who coined that phrase had not come to Thika Town because it must have read otherwise infavour of Thika.

Thika too is a great place to do business. With the completion of the Thika Road (Thika Superhighway), Thika has really opened up for business. This town is quite vibrant in terms of entrepreneurship and has a great potential. Thika provides a very good environment for business and growth and you can rarelycompare it with any other town in Kenya. Its proximity to Nairobi, and the neighbouring counties provide a very fertile ground for business.

 

What do you feel, in your own opinion, doesn’t work well in this town?

The only thing that may be irritating about this town is its leadership, both social and political. Majority of those in positions of power are not driven by the love for their town. For them, it is about what they grab and run away with regardless of who they hurt along the way. Many don’t want to promote the youth into growth. Majority of our business class exploit their subjects to maximize their profits. They also rarely involve themselves in community service. That is the reason we have so many jobless people and so many destitute and poor people yet the town generates so much wealth.

 

Let’s assume you were given a chance to change this town, what would you do differently?

Well, even though I am yet to hold any political ambitions for now (but if opportunity pops in my way, I will), I would sit down with people drawn from the various sectors of our economy, the youth, women and all marginalised groups and set up a work plan that would make Thika a real industrial and commercial hub. I believe that no man is an island of ideas. In this way, we would come up with workable solutions to all our problems.

I believe in people being self-reliant and not dependent always on hand outs. I would therefore help to set up income generatingprogrammes with long-term resolutions to the problems that face us as a community.

I would also endevour to promote youth and women entrepreneurship by fighting to achieve the government policy of a 30% tender allocation in all the departments in this area.

 

What is your advice to the youth of Thika Town?

Nothing comes easy. They should not despise a humble beginning. Hard work and innovation is key to success. They should take advantage of technology to make their presence felt in every sphere of life. They hold their success in their own hands and should never wait for anyone to give it to them on a silver platter. The youth should also fight for leadership positions and always support their own. In this way, they will ensure that their voice is always heard and acted up on.

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