Linnet Kathambi, known to many as Kathy Andrews, grabbed national headlines after she volunteered to build a house for former Tahidi High Actor Joseph Kinuthia popularly known as Omosh Kizangila.
The comedic actor while appearing on a YouTube channel earlier this year, revealed that he had been unable to cater for his family after the entertainment industry was rocked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
As at the time, the father of four owed rent arrears in excess of Ksh100,000 having not paid rent for a better part of the year 2020. He appealed for help from members of the public and well-wishers.
Kathy was among those who came to the actor’s aid. Omosh was the recipient of various donations from celebrities, companies, and members of the public alike.
Zero Hero Properties, a real estate company, awarded a 40 by 80 feet piece of land in Malaa along Kang’undo Road complete with a title deed. Several other companies chipped in with materials and Kathy, offered to build the house.
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The mother of three has over the years kept her philanthropic work under the radar, however, this time around, the publicity of the matter exposed her generous work to the public eye.
Kathy is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sung Timber, a timber company based in Kikuyu Town, Kiambu County. She also has major interests in real estate and home décor.
His rise to the top, however, was not an easy walk in the park.
Kathy was born in Imenti Central, Meru County. She attended Mwirine Primary School from where she sat for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). She later proceeded to join Kinjo Girls High School for her secondary education.
File Image of Linnet Kathambi and Omosh
However, financial constraints hindered her academic progression and she sought to hustle and make a living.
"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 stated during an interview with a local publication in 2020.
She moved to Nairobi with the dream to eke out a living and make it in life. She resided in Zimmerman and would go buy items from Kamukunji and then come back to hawk them at Zimmerman.
Life was tough, but her determination to succeed and the support and encouragement she received from her sister motivated her to keep going.
Kathy’s life changed for the better when she met the love of her life Moses Ng’ang’a. The two courted for a while and in 2011, they got married. They later relocated to Kinoo, Kiambu County in 2012.
She had saved some money from her hustles and with a little boost from her husband, they set up an open-air timberyard in Kikuyu Town, and christened it Sung Timberyard and products.
Business was good and after a short while, they purchased a second-hand pick-up truck with which they supplied timber and construction materials to their clients.
They later acquired a lorry, and after several months, bought a lorry. The Timberyard today boasts a huge fleet of transport vehicles and has five branches, all supplying materials to clients in various parts of the country.
File Image of Linnet Kathambi
Kathy has several permanent employees and numerous other casual 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.
"I even landed a few government tenders, major projects on low-cost housing," she recounted.
She oved on to expand her investment portfolio, venturing into real estate and home décor. Through their company Homes by Sung, Kathy and Moses build homes, furnish them through Kathy’s other company Lyn’s Stays and then sell them to clients.
The soft-spoken businesswoman acknowledges where she came from and for the last five years, has donated to various charity organisations and lent a helping hand to the needy in society.
Actor Omosh recently became one of the many she has helped in her unselfish quest to give back to society.
Kathy is a mother of three, and the youngest of her children is one and a half years old.
She owns a number of luxury cars including a Mercedes Benz, a Ford Ranger pick-up among others.
On July 14, Kathy alongside comedian and Radio presenter Felix Odiwuor aka Jalang’o hosted a party at Malaa, where they handed over the 3-bedroomed house to Omosh.
