Saving culture helps school dropout set up successful vehicle parts shop

Samuel Wanjohi at his auto accessories shop in Nyeri last month. The businessman rose from a humble background to become a major trader. Photo/ Joseph Kanyi 

By BONIFACE MWANGI

In Summary

• The Form Two dropout, Samuel Wanjohi, recalls how he toiled hawking sweets in Nyeri, Nanyuki, Thika, Murang’a and Kerugoya bus termini, sometimes going home with paltry Sh10 to Sh15 as profit.
• However, after five years, Mr Wanjohi decided to spend some of his savings on setting up a small shop in Nyeri that he stocked with different commodities apart from the sweets he used to sell.
• One year later, he opened a vehicle spare parts shop in the same town and closed down his kiosk.
• Apart from selling spare parts and vehicle decorations, he fixes them as well as wire vehicles and install music systems.

When he started hawking sweets in different towns, he never dreamt that one day he would set up his own shop and earn millions of shillings.

The Form Two dropout, Samuel Wanjohi, recalls how he toiled hawking sweets in Nyeri, Nanyuki, Thika, Murang’a and Kerugoya bus termini, sometimes going home with paltry Sh10 to Sh15 as profit.

Despite all this, he made sure that he saved at least Sh10 in a tin piggy bank and once full, he would deposit the coins in his bank account.

However, he did not have in mind the kind of business he would venture into with his savings or what to do with money.

“I never enquired how much I had saved at the bank but kept on depositing because I feared getting discouraged or being tempted to withdraw the cash” he recalls.

This was way back in 1995 after he dropped out of school due to lack of school fees.

However, after five years, Mr Wanjohi decided to spend some of his savings on setting up a small shop in Nyeri that he stocked with different commodities apart from the sweets he used to sell.

Among the goods in his kiosk were empty CDs, socks and steering covers.

After the investment, Wanjoh, 35, continued to save but this time more than he used to.

He says that he would save between Sh50 and 100 daily, which made him proud with himself despite struggling to maintain the saving discipline.

One year later, he opened a vehicle spare parts shop in the same town and closed down his kiosk.

“Although I had saved a good amount of money, I spent not more than Sh20,000 of my savings to start this business, which has expanded tremendously,” he says while serving a customer inside the now renowned Sam Car Boutique.

The father of two says that the business has lifted his standard of living and he is now comfortable but remains cagey about his earnings. He has managed to buy his family a small car and a piece of land that he plans to develop soon, he says.

Mr Wanjohi is also currently looking for better sites in Nairobi and Nakuru to expand his business.

“I did not intend to set up this kind of business, but I was prodded by how operators and owners of bigger shops where I used to buy my stock treated me,” says Mr Wanjohi.