When you see them on television, sometimes it is hard to imagine that a number of our most renowned actors and actresses came from nothing, and worked their way to the life they now enjoy.
However, the grace to grace stories are not rare among our celebrities, but when told, you have no choice but to marvel.
In this segment, Nairobileo.co.ke take takes a journey down the life of Papa Shirandula actor Kenneth Gichoya, popularly known as Njoro.
Speaking on Churchill's journey series in January 2021, Njoro revealed that at one point in his life, he used to sell sweets at the Kenya National Theatre.
He conceded that on some days, he used to make more money than the actors and actresses who had secured gigs in plays at the theatre.
Njoro would ask producers at the theatre to give him roles as an extra and asked for no pay so that he could get in and sell his sweets.
"I did not want to act, I just wanted to sell sweets. I just did the math; actors were paid Ksh300 a day, and I would get Ksh3,000 from selling my sweets.
"I was still a funny guy and would make people laugh and happy as I sold them the sweets. The school boys and girls would miss me if I failed to show up for one reason or the other," he narrated.
He added that his competitors would face a hard time because he always sold more than they did.
"I would buy a packet of sweets at Ksh75, and I would make a profit of Ksh250. All I needed was to leave my house with Ksh100, go to Kirinyaga road and get one packet. By the end of the day, however, I would end up selling like 10 packets," he stated.
Njoro, who is a father of two stated that the business of hawking sweets helped him cater for his family.
The actor revealed that he met the late Charles Bukeko alias Papa Shirandula while selling sweets at the Kenya National Theatre and offered him role. This transformed his life.
Njoro is a jack of all trades. He now runs an entertainment joint, hardware and is also into the matatu business.
Asked how he runs all these businesses, he says; "I have delegated some businesses to my wife so that she can keep herself busy and have something to do."
