In the second grade, Patrick Mwangi started selling mitumba (thrift clothes), not to make money but to meet his family’s material needs. While still a student at Laikipia High School, he bought clothes from a wholesaler and then sold them to his friends over the summer. After graduating from high school, he pursued his passion, which became his profession. After the dust had settled in the house, Mwangi went to Thiki, where he did not want to be seen for the time being. Here he met a friend who supplied Mitumba products.
What was once entertainment was now essential for survival. On the first day he asked a friend to buy him 10 women’s sweaters which cost Ksh 100 each. He made a profit after selling all of his shirts in one day. The focus has shifted from mere survival to long-term success. Mwangi opted for stocks, albeit in small quantities, and bought his own shares in Nairobi’s Gikomba market. The money was invested in a fearless businessman’s new Mitumba company in Mombasa.
He intended to start out as a street peddler selling clothes, but a friend of his had enough clout to help him get a small stall. Dad urged him to get rid of the car. It took him over a month and a half and he had no experience selling cars, but the Ksh 50,000 commission was an incentive he didn’t expect.
