When I was born on the 16th June 1978, my parents named me Ezekiel Kiago Wangunyu. The name was gotten from my grandfather from my mothers side. I am named after my grandfather. The Kikuyu tradition emphasizes the naming of children based on the ancestors something that we cannot change. I did not name myself and thus I will use the names for my identification. I was born in Rift Valley a place Called Kipkabus in Eldoret Kenya. Based on stories given by my seniors, I am the only one out of my 8 who was born in a Hospital (Plateau Mission Hospital) this was due to the some complications that happened during my par-tum. After my birth, my parents then were squatters in Kipkabus (Jackson Kibor's) farm. Jackson Kibor had given us an acre of land where we farmed and kept some sheep, chicken and dogs. My parents were farmers, small business traders (my mother: Grace Wanjiku Wangunyu AKA Gachambi), while my father Joshua Wangunyu Ndekei was a farmer/ international business man and a Reverend of the African Inland Church (This happened after graduating from Kapsabet Bible School of Theology in 1989). I grew up with my brothers and sisters and went to nursery school (1983) at the same small town. Primary school was done in Kipkabus upper primary school up-to class five(1984-1989) and Tarakwa Primary school in Bayete near Burnt Forest (1990-1992). In early years of my primary I struggled with education, I repeated once in class three. I could not read and write in English. It is also good to mention that I became number 3 in class five before leaving Kipkabus primary school.
In Tarakwa primary, English was compulsory both spoken and written. I struggled with learning English and received heavy beating until I mastered speaking and writing. I am proud to say I scored an A(82 points) in my final year, an A(84 Points) in Mathematics and an overall 489 Marks out of 700. When I did the first exam at Tarakwa Primary in class six, the first exam I was number 26 and then when I left Tarakwa in class eight I was number 12. That was a great improvement. Tarakwa was a good school where our confidence was built. We would attend church in the school and lived in the school compound. Since my parents were not teachers, we were segregated by the teachers kids and thus we never had a good time making friends. The only friends we had was from the Taware's family; Bernard and Moses Anyanga. They were close to us. We would visit them together with my brother Moses. I became the school time-keeper from class 6 to class eight.
As a pastors child, Many things were expected of us, become Christians at a tender age, go to church, behave as Christians and also not engage in sex. Temptation came when I was in class eight. Our headteachers daughter wrote me a letter asking me for sex. I could not hide my disappointment in her and termed her devilish. I never experienced sex until when I met Grace Heta in Form 3 at Olng'arua Secondary school when 'I fell in Love for the 1st time'. It is important to note that I was admitted in Kipkabus High School in (1993- end of first term 1994) when I left because of post election violence and joined Olng'arua Secondary school (1994-1996). In 1992 our house was burnt because of the post election violence this displaced us from Eldoret to Nyahururu Laikipia County. This would become our home for many years.
In Kipkabus secondary I schooled with my brother (Philip) and sister (Mary), here I learnt entrepreneurship from my brother who was a bread seller. I sold bread to the students. We would buy bread at 8 Kenyan Shillings and sell it at 24 shillings. That was crazy profits. I would pass my exams comfortably scoring very high marks in Form 1 and Form 2. We used to wake up at 3am together with Sospeter Mutua who was then in Form 3 and when the exam came, I would miss less than 10 marks in every subject. When I transferred, I was leading in the new school but this would not last long. I relaxed and settled for C Minus (Minus) grade in the final exam.
I tested alcohol when I was in form one during one of those days when we left the school for the village. I never had any other moment to drink until I transferred to Ol'ngarua secondary where drinking became my habits. I started smoking in Form 3 when I joined very bad company. I was elected the school assistant head boy while in form 3 and head-boy in form 4.
I was suspended in form 3 and expelled while in Form 4. I was arrested for stealing other students blankets after being expelled. It was a revenge mission. I was remanded for 18 days and sentenced to 18 months of probation service. The pain of a mother came in play during my arrest, she cried very much and followed me to the police station. Mothers should be respected they stand with their kids no matter what.
I smoked bhang (Cannabis Sativa) while in school and when in the remand. It would give me a high that I loved very much, after many years I came to realize that what I was feeling then was not a high but serious hallucinations. I struggled with my self esteem since while in Form 2 I had not been circumcised, my father argued that I needed to wait for my younger brother Moses. This happened during end of Form 2 when we faced the knife together. While bathing before circumcision we were called names by the circumcised boys. They never wanted us to see them bath. I felt bad and nearly ran away from the school.
After completing Form 4, my sister helped me secure a position as untrained teacher at St. Pauls Academy where I taught from 1998 to 2000 September when I joined Sang'alo Institute of Science and Technology to study a diploma in Information Studies. The application was done by my brother Moses who was joining Egerton University Laikipia Campus. Just to mention I had saved quite some money for my first term in the college. I bought all my requirements and paid my fees for the 1st term. In the college, I was free now, I drunk, smoked and had many lovers. I cleared in November 2003 and scored a credit. I topped the class for the entire 3 years. While at this college I spent time in the Library reading Psychology books. I loved Psychology.
After college, I had to go back home where I secured a job at Miles Training Institute in Nyahururu as a computer teacher. I taught the computer packages for a few months before leaving and joining Hezz training Institute in Eldoret where I taught Diploma in Information Studies. In Eldoret, I met Hezron Githaiga who beyond being his college principal, he mentored me into training and motivational speaking. I spoke in the universities that I had never stepped their doors to learn. My star in training started to shine when Mr. Hezron gave me opportunities to train and speak to students in schools. I designed my program in 2005 titled "Heroes in the Making", that was implemented in over 30 schools in Eldoret and its environs during my stay in Eldoret. In the same year I joined a church called Berachah and became a serious follower. I prayed and fasted, went for vigil every Friday. I started reading motivational books, inspirational books, the Bible and many auto-biographies. I started a library in Eldoret at the church and employed Maryann. I never made a single coin from the Library. During my stay in Eldoret, I worked for the Mwadimes in compiling the Financial Breakthrough Magazine, I also produced "The Director" a book review guide together with Kamau Mbugua and also worked for Rona Communications Kisumu where I was the marketing person in production of the "Rift Valley Educational Guide", where I got 2 adverts for the magazine and also met the proprietor of Legacy Schools who engaged me in motivational training for over 10 years. I sold books for Shred Publishers and one bookshop in Eldoret this gave me road trips all over the country. I sold many books plus bibles.
In 2007, I travel led to Uganda for 40 days fasting, I didn't have enough to stay there but I survived since the hosts were merciful. During this time, Kenya was hit by another post-election violence, I stayed in Uganda (Entebbe) for 40 days and traveled to Nyahururu after that, then went to Nairobi. I lived in Nairobi for a week or so and then headed back to Eldoret up-to 2008 where Kamau Mbugua invited me to work for Kemnet Technologies in Nairobi to sell Websites for the company. I never sold any website but I was learning how to survive in the streets of Nairobi. I had no house to call my own, 3 pairs of clothes and no money. I survived here sleeping in my friends houses and finally with my nephew. Nairobi is a serious place, I walked some times when I did not have fare, I slept hungry whenever I didn't have money to buy food, but it is the same place where I wedded Deborah Wairimu (16th June 2009). Our marriage survived for one year then we divorced. My uncle kamangu gave me a car (KZB 090) after speaking and motivating pupils in his school (Success Academy) several times. I went to a driving school (Budget Driving School) and qualified as a driver. I drove the manual car in Nairobi
Nairobi I engaged in serious business, I worked for Robins Healthcare, Home Sacco and also independently where I managed buses for the same Sacco. I interacted with the ghettos and learnt how to survive there. I made money from the buses though this happened for about an year. In the Sacco I was hired as a recovery consultant where in a span of 1 year we had a capital of 2,000,000 Kenyan shillings. I would earn 3,000 shillings per day from Robins healthcare, from the Sacco for its recovery and also from the bus management. The bus business ended when the buses were taken away by the owner because of late payments. I was hosted now by my primary school friend Nashon Muchiri for I did not have a place to sleep again and no money in my pocket. Kinde Engineering came in handy based on my big bro's recommendation, I secured a marketing job as well as a team leader position to start a new Value Added Services with a salary of 30,000 Kenyan Shillings. I had never touched this kind of money coming together in a month, and also in a bank. I drunk myself out and smoked more than before, I relocated to Utawala, an upcoming estate and had 1 bedroom house. In a span of 2 months I was promoted to the position of team leader Value Added Services and salary increased to 40,000, plus 16,000 Kenyan Shillings fuel allowance. I drunk, smoked some more and enjoyed pleasure.
I had no peace working for Kinde Engineering, I was making 3,900,000 Kenya Shillings for Kinde while I went home with 56,000. So I talked one of my social capital and he gave in 500,000 in exchange with 60% shares of my previously registered company. I was now a shareholder of the big vision. Soon after 3 years of working for Kinde, I was fired because of conflict of interest. It was a blessing in disguise, same say I was fired, I received 50,000 from our company as 40% of our earnings. This was followed with 100,000, 200,000, 300,000, 500,000, 600,000 per month...I was now swimming in money. I bought a new car KCA 188R, bought 1 and 1/4 acres of land, changed my dressing and furniture. My house was packed with good thinks. I flew for the first time to Mombasa to go buy my car (Subaru Impreza). Money was in my house, bank and everywhere. I lost myself, drunk and smoked even more. A sudden halt of this life came in 2015 December 15th when we lost 38,000,000 Kenya Shillings from a deal gone bad. I was depressed, I drunk more and smoked more till I got a job with a college where I was called to train students in Agribusiness (2017). I had forgotten who I was and what I had been doing. I have worked for this Organization until today as I write this blog (2024).
While working for this organization,we sold our organization (at 1,000,000) where I received 200,000 as my share capital. I had registered another company in 2014 (Charisma Logistics) that I used to train and coach students in schools to excel in Mathematics. In 2017, I published my book "The Math Booster" that I had written in 2007. In 2018-2020 we conducted a series of holiday camps for the high school students and this time again we banked 1,000,000 Kenyan Shillings in Charisma Account. I registered for my degree in Psychology in 2018 and graduated in 2022. In 2018, I got a chance to travel to Arusha to design a farming training manual for Vision Fund Tanzania together and trained over 4,000 hired by MAK5 and was paid over 200,000 Kenyan Shillings for one week.
During COVID, in 2020 we built an online learning system together with Kemnet Business Solutions and we went home with 1,800,000 Kenyan Shillings. I registered another company in 2021 (Charisma Resource: an educational Consultancy firm) which has been instrumental in coaching, online teaching and Holiday tuition.
In 2021 I was flown to Tana River by my company to train over 300 young farmers on Agribusiness. It was a great exposure and also a chance to live in extreme conditions of high temperatures. For 16 days I was paid 100,000 Kenyan Shillings.
2022 came will a lot of engagements from the company I was working for. I trained over 2000 in agribusiness. By end of the year, we were asked whether we wanted to join the team travelling to Ethiopia to train 600 young farmers. We accepted and on the March of 2023 we flew to Addisababa. The story about Ethiopia is different from what we are told. The country was colonized by the Italians, British and currently by the Chinese. The country is Fertile, populated (about 124,000,000), developing and above all the money made here at most remains here. I happened to secure a job rather than what I was doing, the wage here is crazy. As a consultant I earned 15,000 Ethiopian Birrs for a period of 3 months. The contract to provide marketing structuring services ended after 3 months. To change this money was impossible unless I would spent the money here. I chose to buy my family, brothers and sisters clothes, shoes and bags. To my children, I bought them clothes and shoes. As I landed hope during Christmas, my family celebrated me calling it an Ethiopian Christmas. I had sold all my cars and now my friend gave me his car to go to my brothers to celebrate Christmas. After the celebration I traveled back to Ethiopia for the final leg of agribusiness training. It is during the travel that I decided to stop drinking, stopped drinking immediately and started planning to stop smoking. In a span of a month I was out of smoking. The desire to stop the bad habits had materialized and with that, I was a free man. Running away from facing the problems at hard and engaging in drinking and smoking was an escape mechanism. I had now to face the world soberly. I have managed to do this and now I am facing every challenge as they come. I am Kiago. What happens after this contract with my current employer? what next.....the future will be included in the I am Kiago part 2....
Chao Chao
I am Kiago...
