It is often difficult to fathom that many of our most celebrated actors and actresses came from humble beginnings and worked tirelessly to achieve the life of fame and fortune that they currently enjoy, even when we see them on television.
While these stories of going from rags to riches are not uncommon among celebrities, they are nevertheless remarkable when told.
In this segment, we will take a journey through the life of Kenneth Gichoya, better known as Njoro, a Papa Shirandula actor, as covered by muranganews.
During a conversation on Churchill’s journey series in January 2021, Njoro revealed that at one point in his life, he used to sell sweets at the Kenya National Theatre.
On some days, he admitted that he made more money than the actors and actresses who had secured gigs in plays at the theatre. Njoro would ask producers at the theatre to give him roles as an extra and asked for no pay so that he could get in and sell his sweets.
“I did not want to act, I just wanted to sell sweets. I just did the math; actors were paid Ksh300 a day, and I would get Ksh3,000 from selling my sweets. I was still a funny guy and would make people laugh and happy as I sold them the sweets. The school boys and girls would miss me if I failed to show up for one reason or the other,” he narrated.
He further shared that his competitors would have a tough time because he always sold more than they did. “I would buy a packet of sweets at Ksh75, and I would make a profit of Ksh250. All I needed was to leave my house with Ksh100, go to Kirinyaga road and get one packet. By the end of the day, however, I would end up selling like 10 packets,” he stated.
Njoro, who is a father of two, revealed that the business of hawking sweets helped him support his family.
He met the late Charles Bukeko, also known as Papa Shirandula, while selling sweets at the Kenya National Theatre, and this encounter changed his life forever.
Njoro is a man of many talents. He now operates an entertainment joint, hardware store, and is also involved in the matatu business. When asked how he manages to run all these businesses, he stated, “I have delegated some businesses to my wife so that she can keep herself busy and have something to do.”
