Jalang’o: From Slum Dweller To Muthaiga Resident
In a recent interview, Jalas told Sunday Nation:
“My story is well known. There’s no slum in Nairobi I haven’t lived in. I know the back of all the slums like the back of my hand. It’s not a good life and no one living there wishes to be there.”
Jalang’o says that he has gone nights without food and been locked out for failing to pay rent. He did each and every menial task you can think of including mjengo and vending water.
“Without these experiences I wouldn’t know the meaning of hard work. That’s why each and every day I work so hard to ensure I never go back to where I came from. It also taught me to respect and value people.”
SUNDAY NATION: When would you say you had your big break?
JALANG’O: “At some point we started doing Luo plays at the National Theatre, which attracted crowds and we started making some little money. I even managed to move from the slums to Mwiki. The networks we developed from these plays are what helped my best friend of many years Steve Oganda and I make a name for ourselves.”
Shortly after, they got featured on KISS 100’s breakfast show, and from there things moved pretty fast. Nyambane had just left Kiss FM and they advertised for a vacancy, which Jalas applied for. Out of thousands of applicants, Larry Asego and him were picked to be Caroline Mutoko’s co-hosts.
Now Jalang’o is living the high life as a radio presenter and media buyer. It is well known that he lives in the environs of Muthaiga’s leafy suburbs. Apart from the house, he also is the proud owner of a Range Rover Overfinch. Crazy, huh?
