Timothy Makofu Kinyanjui worked as a taxi driver and did other menial jobs before being elected into office in the United Kingdom.
Born in Kenya, Kinyanjui left the country for Germany but a relative convinced him to move to the UK. He packed his belongings and made the move. That was over 20 years ago.
He dreamt of having his own business and decided to start a curio shop in the UK since he saw tourists in Kenya who had a great interest in artefacts. However, the business did not stand the test of time and Kinyanjui closed the shop.
The entrepreneurial spirit in him remained alive and he decided to open an imports and exports business. He also tried his hand in transport and logistics, importing Volkswagen Kombis from Kenya as well as money transfer business.
Kinyanjui spoke of discipline and the willingness to make it as a Kenyan in a foreign country as the reasons for his drive-in business.
But deep down, he wanted to lead his community since he interacted with the most crucial people in society on a daily basis. He joined the Labour Party in 2015 and expressed interest to run for office.
The party invited him for interviews after being a member for over a year. His campaign manifesto primarily touched on the need to make the community clean.
He pointed out that elderly members of the community were enthusiastic about this and they volunteered to campaign for him. Kinyanjui recalled that his community helped distribute posters and fliers to other members of the public.
“I used to do the shopping for the elderly and take it to their doors, and that is how I became popular as they appreciated me,” Kinyanjui stated.
Speaking during an interview with Alex Chamwada, the British Councillor stated that he learnt to work with members of public and did consultations in order to understand what is most important to the community.
Notably, as a Councillor in the UK, he does not earn a salary. However, he gets a small allowance from the government. He has a business which he runs but also makes time to serve the community that elected him.
“What we normally get is allowances which are like a minuscule. It is about servant leadership,” he stated.
Kinyanjui has a shipping business which he revealed sustains him and his family.
