Timothy Makofu: Kenyan Who Was Elected Councillor In The UK After Failed Business Ideas

Timothy Makofu Kinyanjui is the Councillor of West Swindon Parish in the United Kingdom.

The politician moved to the country some 20 years ago after relocated to Germany first before a relative convinced him to go to the UK.

While in the UK, he engaged in different businesses before he eventually decided to try politics which worked for him.

Here is Timothy’s story as told by WoK.

Timothy was born in Githunguri, Kiambu County and attended AK Magogo Primary School for his primary school education.

He then proceeded to St Joseph’s High School in Githunguri for his secondary school education.

In an interview with Alex Chamwada, the politician said he was a leader since his days in school where he served in different capacities.

“Leadership comes from within. For instance, for me, I was a prefect in Form One and a senior prefect by the time I left the school,” Timothy said.

Initially, Timothy left Kenya and settled in Germany for a while before his relative convinced him to move to the United Kingdom.

“I went to Germany and stayed there for a little bit before my cousin invited me here,” he said.

He settled in Swindon and secured a job at a local factory’s warehouse before advancing to a forklift driver.

Businesses

He worked in the factory for a couple of years before quitting to start his own business.

Timothy left his job and set up a curio shop in the UK after realizing how tourists had a great interest in the artifacts.

“I used to import curios… The curios shop didn’t do very well and I had to close down the shop,” the politician said.

He also did money transfer and ventured into transport and logistics where he worked as a chauffeur.

“I used to be a private hire driver. I used to chauffer people around,” Timothu said.

Other than the aforementioned businesses, Timothu also went into the car business and he would import Volkswagen Kombis from Kenya.

They would then be converted into camp vans.

“When we took the vehicles to the port, the officials were stunned, they’re not used to people exporting vehicles,” he said.

Politics

Timothy ventured into politics in 2015 since he interacted with most people from his community on a daily basis.

He joined the Labour Party and expressed interest in contesting for the elective office.

“I become a Labour Party member in 2015 when I gave my name and I was nominated by my party to vie. I went for an interview where they question you and see if you’re worthy,” he said.

He noted that the elderly members of the community were enthusiastic about this and they volunteered to campaign for him.

“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,” Timothy stated.

As a Councillor, Timothy does not earn a salary but he gets an allowance from the government.

“What we normally get is allowances which are like a minuscule. It is about servant leadership,” he stated.

However, he has a shipping business which he revealed sustains him and his family.