Toroitich Yegon’s relentless pursuit of success 

• His inspiration came from reading many story books, laying a strong foundation for his writing talent. 
• In 2010, Yegon was the second-best student in Mogotio Sub-County, with a score of A- of 79 as his mean grade in his KCSE. 
• On campus, he would do manual jobs around the community near the university, mainly focusing on agriculture and taking advantage of the market around him. 

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Discipline, inspiration and motivation can be adapted and made a way of life for anyone to achieve their ambitions.

Words from Toroitich Yegon, a jack of tangible traits that have made him who he is after a long-term dream that started when he was in standard six then, currently Grade 6, Junior Secondary School. 

He is the brains behind Isahara Centre Group, which focuses on Engineering, Publishing, Education Consulting, Corporate training and Community Service.

His books include Holiday Upcountry, Likizo Mashambani, Along The Wrong Channel, My Grandmother’s Hut, Nyota ya Kudurusu Sarufi na Matumizi ya Lugha and Bringing The Best Out of Yourself in High School and Beyond (Bringing Out the Best Series) and Books under Grit Series, among other books.

In childhood

While the current generation has a key eye on specially talented students with high intelligence quotient (IQ) and has them taken for specialized training to tap into their talents, well his parents were not keen enough, while they worked hard to see him excel in academics, they were uncomfortable and taken by surprise when he told them he wanted to publish a book while still an engineering student. 

Little did they know that their child’s will was unwavering. 

His ever-protective mother would marvel and question the source of the motivational quotes he stuck on the wall in their house.

His inspiration came from reading many story books, laying a strong foundation for his writing talent. 

More clarity

In 2003, while in primary school, he really admired the writing done by his senior fellow pupil, who was in standard eight with an inspiring manuscript.

His writing dream would grow stronger in High school. 

He started a draft book on Along the Wrong Channel, which now has a Swahili and French translation, which came through a deal in his later years on campus.

In form three in High School, he met Harry Cheruiyot and Dr. Sam Marigat, who taught English and Literature. 

One of the most recent authors, Amkich Karanja, was his teacher in that high school, unaware that years later, he would own the publishing company for his teacher’s book, Tales of the Savannah.

It was not long before his teachers discovered how smart Yegon was and gave him extra responsibilities to tutor his fellow students from forms one to three. 

Being a straight-A’s student, he would use his one hour during morning preps that started from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. to do his writing. 

The writing would be reviewed by Mr. Harry Cheruiyot, who would correct his syntax and spelling.

His practical teachings would play out during a two-day break when he was sent home for school fees. 

While at home, he went to the nearest secondary school, Muhigia Secondary School, seeking an opportunity to motivate the students, an opportunity he was given.

In 2010, Yegon was the second-best student in Mogotio Sub-County, with a score of A- of 79 as his mean grade in his KCSE. 

Then, the Education Ministry had re-scheduled the duration that form four leavers would join campus from 2 years to just a few months. 

Forging ahead

During the waiting period, he travelled to Nakuru town to study computer studies as most form four leavers did before joining tertiary education. He decided that he would not head back to the village anymore.

With his determination and the results slip at hand, he successfully secured a teaching position at Hopewell High School in Nakuru. 

He says his motivation was the words of Dr. Marigat, quoting Mark Twain:

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

Yegon taught Kiswahili and was a swing teacher in other subjects. 

In 2010, his first publication was out, Nyota ya Kudurusu Sarufi na Matumizi ya Lugha, an academic book. 

He says the book did well, though it received criticism. 

He would later develop it on campus, developing it from twenty-nine to two hundred-plus pages.

While still waiting to join campus, he was able to teach in one more school, Maji Tamu Academy in Solai, Nakuru.

Joining campus

Toroitich was admitted to Moi University, Eldoret, to pursue a Bachelor’s in Computer and Electronic Engineering.

Engineering is a very demanding course; for a moment, Yegon says he had to set his five-year goals on campus. 

He set targets to write ten books, continue his mentorship and philanthropic work, be a regular student with social life, a practical engineer and be able to work on developing his soft skills, and lastly, secure at least a 2nd Class Upper Division in his studies. 

Along the way, he gave out one of his drafts to a traditional publisher to be developed and published. He waited forever for feedback to come forth from them.

Feeling let down by the duration the publisher was taking, from 2011 to 2013, Yegon resolved to focus on his engineering course and be able to finance his book publishing goals upon earning from his job, hopefully after graduating. 

Though through it all, he kept the candle on, and his roommate cum editor Godwin Chumba was concerned if he ever got any sleep as he was ever on his study desk.

“I had to take advantage of the internet on campus and do my research.” He says

He says his drive came from understanding that he was young and with time and energy; that would be the opposite when he grows older, where he would have the money and time but no energy.

He would do manual jobs around the community near the university, mainly focusing on agriculture and taking advantage of the market around him. 

Navigating snags

However, he ran into a huge loss when he did not project the harvesting season with that of school closure and all his produce went to waste. 

He went into retail entrepreneurship; his major breakthrough was having his father support him through the purchase of a printer. 

In 2014, he made many connections and created a chain of supply for his clients, making him popular among his fellow comrades. 

The big break, too, came out of his farming manual jobs when he met the owner of a Gumbaro class (a class that teaches older adults who would later do their national exams through the District Commissioner’s office then). 

He would later be one of the Swahili teachers upon proving himself to the head of the school. 

The Gumbaro class was learning the set book Kidagaa Kimemwozea. He managed to write its guidebook.

Yegon was also the Editor for the Technology Students Association under the Engineering department, a member of the Chama cha Kiswahili Moi University and the President of Mentor, Author and Leadership Program (MALP) succeeding Jared Oundo the Founder of Jubilant Stewards, who also served in mentoring him together with the heads of career office Moi University including Sospeter Kosgei and FBS Kariuki, the then head of the office.

In 2014, while in attachment at the county government of Nakuru, he decided to fundraise for the publishing of the Swahili guidebook Mwongozo wa Kidagaa Kimemuozea. 

Here, he says, he walked from one shop to another and the most he received were from the humble in the society, a lesson he treasures to date.

“The rich help the rich, while the rest of us have us.” 

Notable from the attachment period was the mentorship and support he received from great mentors and friends, pointing out the relevance of having a great support system while working on our dreams. 

From 2015 to 2016, back on Campus, Yegon was contacted by Martha Tubei to have him publish her academic book, Practical Geography, under Scanner Series Umbrella.

Finally 

This became his first book to publish. That way, Isahara Books Publishers and Isahara CENTRE came to birth. Tubei has been his client to date.

His second book to be released under the publishing unit was the Mwongozo wa Kidagaa Kimemwozea. 

Then he published other books such as Holiday Upcountry, Bringing Out the Best out of Yourself in High School and Beyond, followed by Destined Adolescents by Leah Malakwen and Pastor Sigei’s book The 14 Hotspots Common in High School, a guidance and counselling book, with Biblical references. 

The rest are countless. With books serving all levels of education cadres, his current publication, which has the status of becoming a High School Kiswahili book, is Salitiko by Daniel Siw’a, who is also a Kiswahili editor working with him.

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The motivation around Toroitich is not yet over, and he focuses on motivating others with his journey.