Eliud Mwatha Kimani, popularly known as Mwatha Mwa in Texas business circles, has a journey from Kenya to the United States that stands as a remarkable story of resilience, hard work, and unwavering determination.
Born and raised in Gatundu South, Kenya, Eliud attended local primary and high schools before pursuing a Diploma in PR & Marketing Management at the Kenya Institute of Management.
After graduating, he faced the daunting task of job hunting in Nairobi, eventually securing a position with a media company in 2003.
At the media company, Eliud played a crucial role in launching a vernacular radio station.
Reflecting on this period, he proudly recalls the station’s rise to become the region’s most popular, a testament to his dedication and skill.
However, after four successful years, Eliud decided to seek new horizons and moved to the United States at the end of 2006.
The transition was anything but easy. Arriving in the US as a visitor, Eliud found himself without papers, a job, or significant savings.
The initial period was marked by struggles and sacrifices as he took on various low-paying, odd jobs with unfavorable hours just to survive.
Yet, Eliud’s determination never wavered. He kept his focus on a brighter future, continually seeking opportunities to improve his situation.
During an interview with Alex Chamwada, Eliud revealed that his journey to the US and his initial struggles were challenging.
“I came as a visitor, and by the Grace of God, I was able to change my status to US permanent residence and eventually to a US citizen,” he shared. His perseverance through these difficult times set the foundation for his future success.
The turning point came in 2009 when Eliud decided to pursue his passion for the travel industry.
He quit his job and launched Liberty Travel Group, a travel agency in the US. With only his last cheque of $200, Eliud took a leap of faith.
“I didn’t have a loan or any savings; I had my last cheque of $200, but I took the leap and moved forward,” he recalled.
Initially, Eliud started as a taxi driver, a role that allowed him to understand the travel industry from the ground up.
His hard work and dedication soon paid off, and he transitioned from being a taxi driver to starting his own taxi service.
As his reputation grew, so did his business ambitions.
Eliud expanded his services to include a limousine company, which eventually evolved into Liberty Travel Group, one of the largest travel agencies in the US.
At Liberty Travel Group, Eliud offers a comprehensive range of travel solutions, including executive travel solutions, VVIP ground transportation and executive chauffeur services, private and group tours to the United States, custom-crafted tours to the United States, air travel solutions for commercial, private, or charter flights across the world, accommodation solutions for individual or group travelers, and individual and group cruise line reservations.
These services are available individually or packaged together for individuals or groups.
Small groups range from 1-12 people, medium groups from 12-28 people, and large groups above 28 people.
These packages cater to corporate groups on retreats, educational tours, team-building events, government benchmarking trips, schools and colleges, or even friends, couples, and families traveling together on holiday.
“I can package a full itinerary for them and then execute it. That’s what I mean by custom-crafted or custom-tailored tours.” Eliud emphasizes.
Group tours can also be for groups who already know their destination, where Liberty Travel Group handles their tickets, accommodation, ground transport, and more as a complete package.
Becoming a recognized travel agency required extensive training and accreditation. Eliud undertook rigorous training and was vetted by the US federal government to ensure his business was legitimate and professional.
“I did a lot of training and was vetted by the US federal government to make sure I was legit and professional, and they all bore fruits,” he noted.
