“I have faced a lot of challenges in life to be where I am today,” reveals the jovial Macharia. He has a commanding presence and you’ll rarely fail to notice him in a room. Confident but soft-spoken, John Mahu Macharia is a person who has literally tasted life from both extremes.
The transformation from near pauper to a position of influence could explain his generosity both materially and with his time.
But all that is now in the past and the once young man who used to peddle water on a bicycle and clean toilets to supplement his family needs now has his eyes on a parliamentary seat.
Education, work and more education
His first job posting was as a labourer at the then Municipal Council of Nakuru (MCN) right after he finished High school at Nakuru Day Secondary school. The menial job did not deter his dreams for a bright future and he immediately enrolled to study KATC. Studying part-time, he managed to do KATC 1 and 2.
He followed this by enrolling for a diploma course in Human Resource studying part-time at the University of Nairobi. He, however, had to put his plans on hold when his mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer and he had to channel most of his earnings into her medication. Unfortunately, his mother succumbed to the disease and passed on.
With these challenges, someone of a lesser determination would have given up on their dream but Mahu has soldiered on.
Mahu has a degree in Finance from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and this seems to have prepared well for his career in entrepreneurship.
After working as a labourer for a few months, Mahu was promoted to be a clerical officer owing to his hardworking nature. He was later to rise to the position of an administrative assistant and then to an administrative officer position he still holds even after transitioning to County government.
Mahu has also done several short courses. He studied governance in Finland when the MCN had partnered with some Finnish municipalities. He also did Report and Minute writing at the Kenya School of Governance (Formerly Kenya Institute of Administration).
Currently, he is undertaking an MBA in Management from JKUAT.
Working with community
Mash, as he is popularly referred to, has been working closely with the community. As a youth desk officer at the Municipal Council, he was able to introduce several programs to empower the youth.
To give financial freedom to the rural farmers, he was very instrumental in the founding of the first ever Poultry farmers’ cooperative society the Nakuru Poultry Farmers’ Cooperative Society. He says that for long, there have not been proper marketing mechanisms for the poultry products and by working together the farmers can achieve a lot more.
For several years now, Mahu has been a Rotarian.
“I’ve always had the heart to help the poor and disadvantaged in the community. That’s one of the reasons I joined the Rotary Club and I believe am making a change to a life somewhere,” says Mash.
Mahu the Book Warrior
Mahu is also one of the strong supporters of the Book Warriors. Since inception, he has been strongly supporting their activities including visiting schools and planting trees in school.
From an early age, leadership has always come naturally to him. He has worked closely with leaders in Nakuru over the years and he knows there is massive potential to make a difference in the lives of people through politics. Politics
“Politics is not necessarily evil if you’re focused in shouldering the responsibilities and carrying out your mandate,” says Mash on his decision to seek an elective post.
“I know I can do better, achieve more and make a more positive impact on the people if given the chance. Economic empowerment for local communities is something am engaged in even at this point,” reveals Mahu.
In the past few years, he has been working closely with women groups to empower them and introducing economic activities that will change the rural people. Even as he seeks to be elected the Bahati Constituency MP, he knows there is still something he can do to change lives before then.
“I’ve lived among these people, I know and understand their needs and I believe and trust I am their best option for MP,” says the soft-spoken John Mahu Macharia.
He is also a businessman and through his Eastgate estate has employed more than forty people.
He is a family man and has a wife and two kids.