From walking barefoot to managing the largest travel company
What you need to know:
- Dr Kithitu believes that his difficult environment growing up influenced his character more than his career.
- By this he means that the virtues of hard work and discipline were inculcated in him during his tough childhood.
- “Life was so hard for me that any career that could bring in money was the best one. There was no room to have preferences,” he says.
Dr Joseph Kithitu, the Managing Director of Hemingways Travel, is a faultless example of the importance of trusting every step while on the career ladder.
He was born and raised in the rural areas of Kitui County where he attended primary school before joining Lenana School in Nairobi.
He reveals without shame that his childhood was not rosy, as his parents were peasant farmers.
“I went to a public school in the village, where life was hard since we didn’t have much. The school didn’t have electricity or water, and it lacked adequate teachers too,” he recalls.
Shoes were a luxury then, and he had to walk to school barefoot, which clearly underlines the difficulties he experienced growing up.
His dream career was to become an electrical engineer, and he was relieved and excited when he qualified to study the course at the University of Nairobi.
“I, however, didn’t take the offer to go to University of Nairobi because immediately after high school, I got a scholarship by Strathmore University to pursue Certified Public Accounting (CPA),” he says.
His career started mutating from engineering to accounting and according to him, it was very clear in his mind that whatever career he chose, he would move to the apex.
“This has been the case with accounting, as I have studied accounting to PhD level. I have a PhD in Finance from Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) with associated certifications in finance and accounting,” he adds.
Dr Kithitu believes that his difficult environment growing up influenced his character more than his career. By this he means that the virtues of hard work and discipline were inculcated in him during his tough childhood.
“Life was so hard for me that any career that could bring in money was the best one. There was no room to have preferences. After moving to Nairobi, I established friendships and began associating with learned people, and it is at that point that finance and accounting started to look attractive. I saw the field of finance as my path out of the hardships I had endured throughout my childhood,” he says.
Dr Kithitu adds that throughout his career, he had always wanted to lead an organisation, and to ensure the staff apply the best practices acquired in different schools and workplaces.
“The best moment for me to execute that came when I became Managing Director of Hemingways Travel Limited. The role gave me an opportunity to apply all the skills I had learnt over the many years I had spent in the business environment,” he says, adding that some of the greatest lessons he has since learnt include self-discipline, hard work, and patience.
As part of Dr Kithitu’s ways of giving back to society, he has a mentorship programme for school children and fresh graduates. The programme aims to help young individuals find their footing in the work industry and make informed career decisions.
“Through this mentorship programme, I share my knowledge and experience with the mentees, providing them with guidance, advice, and support as they navigate their career paths. The programme covers a variety of topics such as networking, and career planning,” says Dr Kithitu.
He believes that mentorship is a powerful tool that can help young individuals achieve their full potential.
“By sharing my experience and knowledge, I hope to inspire and empower these young individuals to pursue their dreams and achieve their goals.”
Dr Kithitu adds that it takes hard work and a good mastery of interpersonal skills to excel in any career since one has to coordinate many players in the course of work.
“It also requires patience and empathy to successfully run a viable enterprise,” he adds.
Dr Kithitu’s journey started with an entry level job at an auditing firm, after which he was promoted to Finance Manager then moved to Finance Director, and now Managing Director.
“Now that I am heading the biggest travel company in Kenya, I want to be a pacesetter in the travel space. I want to develop the landscape in Kenya so that other travel companies can easily grow their businesses and compete more favourably, and win accounts globally,” he says.
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