Eric Thimba and George ‘Porgie’ Gachui are the young entrepreneurs behind Mookh Africa, a Kenyan e-commerce platform that allows users to instantly buy and sell products online.
From the very beginning, Thimba and Gachui envisioned a platform that would simplify online selling for businesses across Africa.
Using their personal savings and support from family and friends, the duo managed to get the startup off the ground.
The platform enables sellers to set up their stores and sell seamlessly across multiple channels, including personal websites, social media platforms, Mookh’s own website, and mobile applications.
All transactions—whether via mobile money or card payments—are integrated into a single dashboard, giving sellers complete control over their operations.
Through perseverance, innovation, and strategic planning, Eric Thimba and George Gachui have continued to steer Mookh Africa toward becoming a leading e-commerce platform in Kenya and across the continent.
Despite their successes, Thimba and Gachui faced hurdles along the way. One key mistake was delaying the firing of team members who were not contributing effectively to their vision and success, which hindered progress and lowered the quality of their work.
Additionally, the founders attributed another major challenge in building their business to restrictive government regulations, which made it difficult for e-commerce companies across Africa to grow.
They had hoped policymakers would introduce supportive measures to foster, rather than hinder, the development of online enterprises.
In 2016, the founders had the unique opportunity to meet Mark Zuckerberg during his first trip to Africa.
During his visit to Kenya, Zuckerberg toured Nairobi’s iHub technology hub to explore how Facebook could better support small businesses, developers, and content creators in emerging markets.
Profile of Eric Thimba, Founder of Mookh
Eric attended Eastern African University between 2003 and 2007, after which he moved to the United States to further his studies in politics and religion.
Thimba has been the Chief Executive Officer of Mookh Africa since January 2013.
He has led the company in developing innovative platforms, including Mookh (mookh.com), which empowers event organizers across Africa to manage events, sell smarter, and deliver seamless door management experiences, and MookhPay (mookhpay.com), an online payment solution for small businesses.
Under his leadership, Mookh also provides tailor-made tech solutions for other companies, such as MomoTicketing.com.
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Beyond Mookh Africa, Thimba is actively involved in community and youth initiatives.
Since March 2020, he has served as Team Lead at Adullam Ministry, a community of believers devoted to the Word, prayer, fellowship, and service.
In March 2021, he co-founded the Ujuaji Podcast, a platform designed to inspire young Africans through thought-provoking discussions aimed at generating youth-led ideas and solutions for a better Africa.
Thimba also serves as Director at The Ideas Company Ltd, an ideation think tank in Nairobi that develops brand engagement strategies and innovative products, making ideas come to life.
Earlier in his career, he worked as Account Director at Instant Grass International from January 2010 to January 2012.
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Profile of George ‘Porgie’ Gachui
George Gachui, born in Nairobi as the middle child of three siblings, grew up leading a simple life. He pursued higher education at the United States International University – Africa (USIU), earning a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Finance and Information Systems between 2003 and 2006.
George has been the Co-Founder and Director of Mookh Africa since September 2015, helping build the Kenyan e-commerce platform into a leading online marketplace.
Beyond Mookh, he serves as Director at Youth Knows No Limits (YKNL), a collective that promotes and supports innovative work by young creative entrepreneurs, and as Partner at The IDEAS Company KE, a creative hub specializing in strategic and business solutions for marketing challenges.
Professionally, George has worked as a Culture Change Consultant at Connect X since June 2017, guiding organizations in designing and managing workplace culture through participative processes and robust change management tools.
Between June 2021 and January 2023, he also served as Lead Consultant at ‘Them Mushrooms at 50’, where he contributed his expertise to strategic projects and organizational development.
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