It is only fair to assume that President Uhuru Kenyatta got everything on a silver plate courtesy of his privileged upbringing. Being one of the sons of Kenya’s founding President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, is it even logical to imagine that he hustled just like any other Kenyan?
Well, a while ago, the Head of State disclosed that he was no idler despite coming from a well-off family.
In a sit-down with Equity Bank Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi, the Kenyan leader said that his first job was in a bank.
“I worked for a short while with the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). I was a teller in the Kipande House branch on Kenyatta Avenue,” he said.
From there, the President explained that he started his own hustle where he would sell vegetables.
He said he would pick up farm produces from different parts in the Mt Kenya region for export.
“I started my own business selling vegetables. I grew a company from one small pickup. I used to sell French beans. We used to collect beans all the way from Meru coming down and we used to package and export under a company called Wilham Kenya Limited.
“I built the company over a period of time and later sold it after about 10 years for a healthy profit,” he said.
Asked why he opted to work for his own money yet his family is rich, the President said he wanted to be his own man.
“I can assure you it wasn’t an easy thing, but at the end of the day it taught you how to stand up, to earn a salary, and to stand up on your own without necessarily having a shadow behind your back,” he said.
Eventually, he joined the family business.
The Kenyattas control a vast business empire with interests in almost all sectors of the economy.
