Success can be attributed to one’s mindset and life perspective. Some may argue that true success involves going to another country, making money, and then returning to the motherland.
However, David Kitonga has achieved success both in Kenya and in the ‘land flowing with milk and honey’ – the US. He shared that success and wealth creation depend entirely on hard work, discipline and strategic planning.
Kitonga is among the fortunate Kenyans who have risen above village life and experienced the prosperity of living abroad. Furthermore, he is among those who own homes both in the US and in Kenya.
David Kitonga is also an entrepreneur, with his latest venture being a multimillion hotel, Kitonga Resort, built on 100 acres of land in Mbiuni, Machakos County.
The hotel built on a hill has become increasingly popular in the region and has begun attracting visitors from all over the country. But how did he rise to such heights in such a short time since receiving his US green card in 2009?
In an interview, Kitonga revealed that he was born and raised in Mbiuni in a humble family that traded livestock for a living. He comes from a family of 12 children and has a twin sister.
As a child, Kitonga led an adventurous life. He completed his primary and secondary education before training as a science teacher.
His teaching career spans 26 years, during which he taught at notable schools such as Siani Girls Secondary in Narok and Central Secondary School in Eldoret.
“I was also a senior examiner with Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) marking Biology Paper One,” he shared.
In 2009, while working in Eldoret, Kitonga’s life changed when he won a Green Card to fly to the United States. He reconsidered his career path, prompting him to take an early retirement to pursue new opportunities.
Kitonga moved to the US and began afresh. Six months later, in 2010, his family joined him in America. Upon settling down, they sought stable employment to provide for their family and lay the foundation for their future together.
“While I waited for my papers to get cleared, I worked in a local shop as an attendant for three months and I learnt a lot in the course of interacting with the American community.”
The former teacher revealed that in the US, he has held various jobs including as a shop attendant, gas station attendant, healthcare/nursing aid and construction worker.
He cautioned that job opportunities in the US are for those who are willing to work hard and avoid slacking. His wife worked as a nursing aide. Afterwards, the family began to see the fruits of their labour.
At that time, his two children were over 18 years old and employed. Before long, the family was able to purchase a house and an office block. One of their children even started their own business.
“We all wanted to do business and whatever we’d make we would invest it all in businesses,” he divulged.
Following the completion of his houses, Kitonga bought 100 acres of land on Mbiuni Hill from his cousins. After consulting with his family, they collectively decided to establish a hotel on the land.
“At the time we were still in the US and we sought a good architect through my son and his wife…We began working with her and for a whole year we were working on the design,” he narrated.
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Kitonga’s son and daughter, an electrical engineer and interior designer respectively, were heavily involved in constructing the hotel. He noted that their approach was original with no copywork from anyone’s ideas.
“Sometimes I look back and wonder whether all of this came from me and my family and it is amazing to see what has come up even in this kind of locality. It’s motivating just to think how far we can get.”
Moreover, prompted by a past medical emergency that affected their granddaughter, the family decided to establish a medical facility for their community.
During a visit to Kenya, their granddaughter fell ill at 2 am, and it took them at least 2 hours to obtain medical assistance, which was a distressing experience.
As a result, they established the Lydia Memorial Key Medical Centre to provide healthcare services closer to the Mbiuni Community.
