| Age | Chartered 27/03/2014 |
| Venue | Cardinal Otunga Plaza, 9th Floor |
| Time | 6.30 to 8:30 p.m., 2nd and 4th Thursday |
| Status | Open to all |
| Number | 3064505 |
| downtown.nairobi@gmail.com | |
| Web |
But the story of Downtown did not start in 2013. It started earlier.
It began with me, club sponsor, wanting
to do something about my speaking skills in order to empower myself to mentor the youth to better themselves. However, getting a club to join was frustrating. There was the choice of Kwanza, Smartspeak, Nairobi and Sema, but at the time they recruited members whimsically. I decided to start a club and I had made quite some progress towards it when the chance to join Kwanza came up. I joined Kwanza Kenya.
But, due to the difficulty, I faced in getting admitted to join Toastmasters, I decided to make the process easier for others. This and my passion and desire to give something to the youth gave birth to the idea of forming a club with these appeals:
- A club with relaxed demeanour and attitude, guided only by Toastmasters International rules and bylaws.
- A club to cater for young people whose primary mode of transport is public transport. The choice of location therefore naturally became around the CBD.
- A club to cater to young professionals who due to their position on the corporate scale may feel intimated by exclusive private member clubs.
Lesson: February and March are the best months to recruit members.In sponsoring Downtown, I learnt not to take it personally in the face of disappointment. Many people who promised to help in setting up the club never came through. I felt betrayed. But many many others went out of their way to support the initiative.
When it came to selecting (not electing, there were not enough members to hold an election) I read out the descriptions of the officer roles as described in the Club Leadership Handbook. First, it was the president. Priscah said, “yeah, I can do that”. Other members took the cue and soon we had fully constituted Executive committee. The officers were:
President – Priscah Oketch
She delved into the role with relish, gusto and verve. It was like throwing a duck in water, natural. She deployed all the tools of a great club. These are; Impression, Orientation, Fellowship, Organisation, Participation, and Recognition with great success. She went on to sponsor Kisumu Toastmasters. She ferreted other clubs for ideas on how to build the club. She encouraged officers and built a solid foundation and culture that is lasting.
VPE – Maxmiller Keitany
It was like the VPEs role was cut for her. She made sure the roles were taken up before the meeting closed. The following day she would be about filling, confirming and reconfirming role takers. She combed other clubs for mentors and evaluators. She would have made it to CC on record time, but many a time she gave up her speaking slots so that others could deliver Ice breakers and CC2s
VPM – Anne Mbuthia
She treated each potential member like they were the only one. She took the time to explain to each member how to join, the benefits and the responsibilities. She sacrificed her own ambitions so that others could benefit from joining the club.
VPPR – Kuchio Asonga
He really made the presence of the fledgeling club felt on the web. Extremely prolific on social media, the VPPR made the club sound so wonderful and compelling, that prospective members would be surprised to learn it was much younger than its sisters.
Secretary – Hannah Macharia
She used to attend the meetings from Kikuyu Town. Hannah kept the meeting minutes flowing. She persistently kept the members informed of all the events, both educational and social.
Treasurer - Dennis Mwangi
Kept the financial records of the club
SAA - Mercy Kairu
Insisted meetings must be held in Toastmasters version.
Downtown was aimed for people who take public transport around the CBD. But it has not been easy to maintain the location because venues at the CBD come at a premium rate. However, it has helped many people due to this placing. I hope the situation will last.
The best way to describe our club is, ‘supportive and warm’. The members are diverse, dynamic and dependable. We have been described by guests before as ‘fun, exciting and friendly’. Our membership is open to all; professionals, businessmen and women, government officials, students, career advisers and so on. Our members have a hunger to grow and improve their leadership and communication skills.
Downtown Toastmasters Members – ‘ In Their Own Words’
The following are testimonials of some of our members who share their stories of how their lives and careers have been transformed as a result of being active members of Downtown Toastmasters club:-
“Joining Downtown Toastmasters club, has really transformed my career to the effect that I have become very efficient, achieving much within a short time. Formerly I was busy but not effective. I have learned the art of prior planning, setting targets, giving effective feedback and so on. DTTM is the way to cut off the fluff”. - Silas Kanali, CC, Club VPE
“I have never had a fear of public speaking because I make a living out of it. I joined Toastmasters after I heardone of the best speakers give a speech.I was so impressed I joined after attending one meeting as a guest.The growth I have experienced as a speaker and leader is inordinate. You don’t realize this until someone points it out. Best decision ever!” - Maxmiller Keitany CC, ALB, Past Club President
“I joined Toastmasters to improve my communication skills. 4 years down the line I have not only become a better communicator but also a better leader. I have appreciated that learning is continuous, gradual and incremental. Toastmasters thus, became a lifestyle. I speak to connect not to be heard. This I have managed to achieve by setting continuous goals each year, showing up in meetings and actively participating.These 4 questions help me set goals each year:-What do I want to gain from Toastmasters this year? I set the objective(s)/ purposeWhy is this important to me or to my life? – I attach value(s) for commitmentHow do I achieve them? – I prepare an action plan with a timelineWhat does the success of all this look like? – I integrate lessons learnt at Toastmasters to real-life” - Joan Mwende CC
“When I grow up! was the title of my Icebreaker on 9th October 2014.The objective of this project was to help me discover the speaking skills that I had already, and to realize the ones that I needed to work on. I was then a newly admitted Advocate working as an Associate in a law firm in Nairobi. 20+ speeches later, I mastered the courage to step out and set up my own legal practice as Toastmasters equipped me with relevant leadership and communication skills. The journey of growth both as an entrepreneur and Toastmaster continues. It’s a whole new world of opportunity and learning. I’m still growing!” - Momanyi Nyabonyi ACB, ALB, Club President, 2018/2019
Downtown Toastmasters Club Educational Awards
- 2014/2015: Smedley Award (Achieved 5 new, dual, reinstated members between August and September)
- 2015/2016: Distinguished Club Award (4 goals met in the Distinguished Club Program)
- 2017/2018: Select Distinguished Club Award (7 goals met in the Distinguished Club Program)
-2018/2019: President’s Distinguished Club Award (10 goals met in the Distinguished Club Program)
Clubs Sponsored by Downtown Toastmasters Club
Looking back, the greatest success for this club can be the sheer number of its original members who caught the fire and went on to spread the Toastmasters Spirit by sponsoring other clubs.
- Kisumu Toastmasters Club
- Eldoret Toastmasters Club
- Nairobi Bottlers Toastmasters Club
- Andela Toastmasters Club
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