TL;DR 🚀
"Life doesn't always follow the syllabus. Sometimes, it writes its own curriculum."
Hi, I am Timothy Mwirabua, also known online as Tim Truston - a passionate full-stack software engineer, tech community builder, speaker, and lifelong learner. Over the last decade, I've built award-winning web and mobile products, mentored developers, spoken at global conferences, and collaborated with local and international teams.
- 🧠 10+ years of professional programming experience
- 💻 Built products used by millions of users across the world
- 🏆 Multiple innovation awards, including a SME Empowerment grant
- 🌍 Worked with clients from Kenya, the UK, the Netherlands, and the US
- 👨🏽💻 Former Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft
- 📍 Currently building Justice KE - a legal access platform for Kenyans
Learn why this site exists here.
📚 My Background
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." – Arthur Ashe
Born in Kenya 🇰🇪, I began my academic journey in Computer Science at Masai Mara University in 2009. But something didn't feel right - I wanted more than code, I wanted impact. So in 2012, I pivoted to Business Information Technology at Kenya Methodist University (KEMU).
At Kenya Methodist University (KEMU), I:
- 👨🏾💻👩🏼💻 Founded The Developer's Club to bring student together to code, create, and spark change.
- 🏆 Won Best Overall and Best Mobile App in KEMU Innovation Competition
- 🥈 2nd Runner-Up in Web Applications
- 🚀 Served as a Google Student Ambassador for KEMU
- 🫰 Did web dev projects for final-year students (thesis) to earn pocket money
Due to financial constraints, I had to start doing small client projects part time work to sustain my upkeep in the city. As schoolwork and client work became hard to balance up, I had to make a hard decision: drop out to survive.
💼 Work Experience
"When life gets blurry, adjust your focus."
🧪 2012–2014: Experiment, Hustle, and Community
Between 2012 and 2014, I attended tech events regularly at a iHub, Nairobi. I met new clients, teammates and mentors in the Nairobi technology ecosystem. When I dropped out I became a full-time freelancer and part-time community builder in Nairobi's tech ecosystem:
- 💬 Founded NairobiJS for JavaScript devs at iHub
- 👨🏽🏫 Taught frontend & JS at Nairobi Dev School
- 🌍 Led the Open Tech School Nairobi Chapter
- 🎤 Spoke at JSConfEU 2014 - "How to Write JavaScript That Works for Africa"
- 🚀 Co-organized NASA Space Apps Challenge and EuroHackTrip
I worked with a few clients as a freelancer before discovering that most often than not, they ended up disgruntled, delaying payments or at times, disappearing without paying entirely. 😅 😅. I learned the hard way that I needed a registered company, a team, proper documentation and official contracts to build trust, to be taken seriously and to earn decently.
🧱 2014: Nairobi IO Is Born
I founded Nairobi IO Limited, a software consultancy driven by:
💡 Mission: To solve local problems with world-class software
💻 Motto: "Software excellence is the new competitive advantage"
Over the years, I wore many hats, including CEO, Business Developer, Designer, Software Engineer, Engineering Manager, Product Manager, name it...
- I sourced clients and managed sales
- I managed agile teams of 5–10 developers
- I led hiring, onboarding, and mentorship
- I oversaw project delivery across multiple time zones
🛠️ 2015–2020: Products That Made a Difference
We delivered impactful solutions locally and abroad:
-
🛍 Duka / ShopOfficer - A smart bookkeeping tool for small businesses
- 🥉 3rd place winner @ Innovating Justice Forum, The Hague, Netherlands.
- 🤑 $10,000 grant + 500+ local SME signups - 🧠 SoundProgress (UK) - E-learning for kids - 500+ schools in UK. Client: Edukent, UK
- 🔍 PressDesk - PR news tracking tool (US client)
- 🧪 Quizay - Gamified quiz prep for learners
- 🧾 School Finance Tool for assessing UK head teachers. Client: Edukent, UK
- 🧑🏽🤝🧑🏾 Motimate - A mentorship matchmaking app (UK client)
🏢 2021–2023: Employment & Microsoft
- 2021: Senior Product Engineer @ Ajua™ - Led frontend tools for customer experience in Africa.
- 2021–2023: Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft Nairobi
- Built delightful product experiences for Office 365 FAST Team
- Built features and fixed bugs for Microsoft Teams, served to 300m+ users.
- Worked with world-class engineers across the globe
🧑🏽💻 2023–Now: Tim Truston & Justice KE
After nearly a decade running a company and working for big tech, I returned to my roots - social entrepreneurship.
I'm now building Justice KE - a civic tech platform helping Kenyans:
- 📞 Connect with vetted lawyers
- 💼 Understand their legal rights using AI
- 💰 Crowdfund for legal action - bail, court fees, etc.
Because access to justice should not be a luxury or a priviledge of the rich!
🏆 Achievements
"Success is not in what you have, but who you become." – Bo Bennett
Here are some proud milestones in my journey:
- 🏅 3-Time University Innovation Competition Winner (Web & Mobile)
- 🧑🏽🎓 Google Student Ambassador & GDG Nairobi Co-Manager
- 🛠 Built platforms used in 500+ UK schools, 500+ Kenyan SMEs
- 💰 Won $10,000 grant for SME empowerment (The Hague, 2015)
- 🎤 Speaker at JSConfEU 2014 & tech community leader
- 🧠 Founded Nairobi JS, Dev Club at KEMU, Nairobi IO
- 👔 Led Engineering Teams and scaled startups from idea to traction
- 🏢 Worked at Microsoft, Ajua, and many other clients
🙌🏾 Let's Connect
If you're building something great, solving a real problem, or want to explore a collaboration, I'd love to hear from you.
- 🌍 Justice KE
"Keep building. The world is watching." – Tim Truston
My Gallery
🏋️ Hobbies
I jog, cycle and swim a little and I keep track of my progress on My Strava Account
Tim Truston
Innovator, Designer and Software Maker
Over 10 years of Professional Experience