Comic Content Creator Timony ‘Njugush’ Kimani PHOTO| COURTESYIt’s been a decade since comedian and content creator Timothy ‘Njugush’ Kimani first took the spotlight. Today, as he celebrates ten years in the entertainment industry, he looks back on his journey from struggle to success, a path that transformed him into one of Kenya’s most recognizable and influential comedians.
Njugush’s rise wasn’t easy. He remembers the peculiar agony of being famous yet broke, a contradiction that nearly broke him mentally. “It’s tough to be in the limelight and barely able to afford the basics,” he recalls. “I was once invited to a high-profile interview on KTN, but I couldn’t even scrape together Sh50 for bus fare. People couldn’t understand how you could be popular and still struggle. One day, someone saw me buying paraffin and seemed baffled that I, ‘a celebrity,’ still needed kerosene.”
In those early days, Njugush played prominent roles on popular TV shows like *Hapa Kule News* and *The Real Househelps of Kawangware*, which quickly made him a household name. However, while his fame grew, his income lagged far behind. Despite the overwhelming success of *The Real Househelps of Kawangware*, he struggled financially. After 100 episodes, he asked his employer for a Sh2,000 pay increase — a modest request given the show’s popularity. Instead of a raise, Njugush faced retaliation. “One January morning, I noticed that production had resumed, but I wasn’t called back. My colleagues told me they were warned about demanding more pay. That’s when I learned I’d been let go for leading the push.”
Suddenly jobless, Njugush faced a crossroads. With no plan in sight, he took a leap of faith. Supported by his wife, who doubled as his cameraman, he began creating and uploading short skits to Instagram. The experiment quickly paid off. “One day, someone offered Sh5,000 to promote their brand in a skit. I only had about 50,000 followers at the time, but that offer opened my eyes. If one brand would pay that, what would happen if I had a million followers?”
This insight marked a turning point. As his following soared, so did the offers. Njugush tapped into his natural humor and relatability, and brands started lining up. Today, he commands fees ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions for brand endorsements, event hosting, and partnership deals, securing his place among Kenya’s most successful content creators.
Njugush’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and an unwavering belief in his talent — proof that sometimes the most unexpected setbacks can lead to remarkable new beginnings.