Martha Wanjiru, a Kenyan based in Germany, shot in the limelight in December 2022 when she waived rent for tenants in her apartment.
Wanjiru organized a small get together for her tenants where they ate, interacted with each other and watched the World Cup final.
However, the kind landlady has had a tough upbringing having been disowned by her family at 17 before being rescued by a preacher and her would-be husband.
Here is Wanjiru’s story as told by WoK.
Tough upbringing
While Wanjiru has been impacting lives of other people, she had a hard time growing up.
The entrepreneur lived in the streets after being disowned by her parents and kicked out of their family home at 17.
While out there, she turned to selling cockroach insecticides in a bid to make ends meet.
“I didn’t have anywhere to go so I ended ip in the streets for around 5 months where I sold Cockroach insecticide to make ends meet,” Wanjiru said.
At this time, she was in close with her brother who would visit her frequently and give her money for shopping and personal use.
Husband from heaven
Wanjiru later moved to Kayole where she met a preacher who offered to assist her.
She stayed in Kayole for a while before relocating to Mombasa where a friend had promised to help her secure a job as a waitress.
Wanjiru worked as a waitress for a while before securing another job as a barmaid; all in a bid to better herself and her child’s life.
It was during her stay in Mombasa when she met her husband who was touched by her story and offered to help her.
“By God’s grace, I found someone who wanted to help me as I met my husband. The first time he visited my house, he wondered whether my things had been stolen,” she recalled.
Relocating to Germany
With the help of her German boyfriend, Wanjiru moved back to Nairobi and enrolled for German lessons at Goethe Institute.
While in Nairobi, the entrepreneur was also in business as she made yogurt products and sold to schools.
After completion of her German lessons, Wanjiru made peace with her family ahead of her relocation to Germany.
However, tragedy struck when she was involved in a road accident after being hit by a bus and was bedridden for two months.
Nonetheless, Wanjiru was back on his feet and shortly after, she relocated to Germany together with her daughter, Njeri.
In Germany, she pursued a career in aviation although she currently works with her husband Insurance.
Kind landlady
On December 18, 2022, Argentina and France were meeting for the World Cup finals.
Wanjiru who owns 15 one-bedroomed units in Rongai, Kajiado County organized a small get together for her tenants.
At the apartment’s balcony, she set up a screen that showed the game and a nice set up where the tenants interacted as they enjoy sumptuous meals.
It was then, before the mini ceremony when Wanjiru announced her decision to waiver the January rent; a total of Ksh 150,000.
“I decided we cook, eat together, watch the World Cup and that’s how it happened, they didn’t expect it. I thought they’d already paid for the 12 months, for January I could see how I could get along,” she said.
