Linnet Kathambi, a mother of three, is an entrepreneur from Kikuyu, Kiambu County, with interests in forestry and real estate.
The 30-year-old remarked that her path to success was not easy, as she had to work hard for it.
She attended Mwirine Primary School before enrolling at Kinjo Girls High School for secondary education.
“l did not go to college. After high school, life was tough. I got a job back in Meru where I worked as an attendant at a timber yard. The business went under and that is how I lost the job.
“Being a go-getter, l decided to join my sister who lived in Nairobi. My objective was to’ tarmac’ in an effort to make ends meet,” she recounted.
Kathy’s first venture in Nairobi was hawking products. The mother of three would acquire stuff from Kamukunji and sell them at the Zimmerman estate, where she lived.
“Life was tough, but I did not lose hope. My ambition was to get enough capital to start my own timber yard,” she narrated, revealing that relentless encouragement from her sister ensured she stayed strong and continued with her business.
Kathy later met the love of her life, Moses Ng’ang’a, and they married in 2011. In 2012, they relocated to Kinoo, Kiambu.
With the little money she had saved and the help of her husband, they established Sung Timber and Products, an open-air timberyard in Kikuyu Town.
After months of operation, they purchased a used pick-up truck, which she used to deliver timber to her customers. From a single pickup to a lorry and finally a truck.
The company now has a large fleet of vehicles that deliver building and construction supplies around the country. Kathy said that she now employs both permanent and temporary workers.
“My biggest turn around happened when timber production was banned in Kenya some years ago. I thought outside the box and started importing from Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, and Zambia. The demand for timber was more than supply, and l seized the opportunity,” she stated.
“I even landed a few government tenders, major projects on low-cost housing,” she added.
Kathy and her husband have recently expanded their interests by getting into real estate.
They established Residences by Sung, a project that includes furnished apartments (Lyn’s Stays) and nearly completed residences.
The mother of three leads a fulfilling life, as evidenced by her social media posts. She is the proud owner of several expensive vehicles, including a Ford Ranger pickup and a Mercedes Benz.
She noted that her family had been impressed by the milestones she had made. She revealed that this had pushed her into charity work, appreciating where she had come from.
