David ‘Mulamwah’ Oyando.
At 31, David ‘Mulamwah’ Oyando believes he has come of age. He is no longer the ‘naïve’ boy who burned his signature baggy shirt and quit comedy for good because of social media trolls.
“Even diamonds are made under pressure. I have grown a thick skin ever since. Nothing gets to me now,” he tells Nation Lifestyle.
Mulamwah has been stealing showbiz headlines lately. First, there was his public split from his ex-girlfriend, Ruth K, just when the world thought he was finally going to marry. The two had been serving couple goals on social media, and no one saw the breakup coming. Then, there is the money and the lessons he has learnt over the years about growing wealth.
What’s going on between you and Ruth K?
What about her? We broke up, that’s all I have to say. I know celebrity breakups make for big news, but I don’t see anything noteworthy in this. People break up all the time.
Remember when you made your first million?
I was 26. It wasn’t a one-off cheque but rather several gigs I had done over some time, and for some reason, the invoices were paid at about the same time. That was the happiest day of my life, seeing a million plus shillings lying in my account!
What did you do with the money?
I invested back in me, the Mulamwah brand. I upgraded my content creation tools by getting better cameras, a phone, and microphones. I also changed my wardrobe. I locked the rest of the money in a savings account.
Was that your highest payday ever?
Not all. That came in 2023. Towards the end of that year, there were three months when I never slept. I did a lot of work for several clients. When the cheques matured at the beginning of 2024, I had more than Sh5 million. That’s how I got to own my first car, a Mercedes-Benz E250, I paid for it in cash, no loans or kulipa pole pole (instalment payments).
You have been a celebrity for a long, what took you so long to buy a whip?
Being a celebrity is one thing, making money and knowing how to manage it is a different ball game. How many times have we seen celebrities come out seeking financial support? I could have bought my first car in my 20s. There are cars for less than Sh1 million, but I felt I wasn’t ready yet because I always wanted to own a Benz. I was willing to wait until I could afford one. I didn’t mind hailing taxis or using car hire services.
Do you still live in your old crib?
David Oyando aka Mulamwa.
I moved out recently to a three-bedroom house where I paid Sh70,000. I need a safe place with a car park. I’m grateful, business has been good in the last few years. I can comfortably afford my current lifestyle, which is not extravagant. I am a very good example of living within your means.
Wasn’t the societal pressure crazy on you, a top celebrity without a car living in a Sh9,000 rental house?
Pressure is for those who don’t understand what they want, or have no proper plan. I remember social media bullies mocking me, saying I had gone broke, yet there was no single day I came out asking for help. I wonder what they think of me now. Even after making my first million, I was still living in the ghetto, paying Sh9,000 rent.
What do you consider your biggest money mistake?
I don't think I have one. I have always been frugal. That has always been my approach. With this kind of job, you can never assume that you're guaranteed to make money. Just because you made a million this month doesn't mean you'll make another million in the next months. Sometimes you go months without making a single shilling, so I treat every payday as my last. I have seen celebrities move to a Sh350,000 rental house just because they made a few millions of shillings in a certain period, only for them to struggle with the rent when the endorsements and gigs run dry. I need to be able to maintain my lifestyle even during dry seasons.
And how do you make the most of your money now that we no longer see much content from you?
Well, I do 360 artistry gigs. You will see me influencing, and find me on MC assignments at weddings and parties… some brands hire me for their product ground activations. I have done marketing consultancy for several clients, and I am also into digital marketing.
Your critics argue that your seven-bedroom village bungalow is dead capital since you spend most of your life in the city…
David Oyando aka Mulamwa.
I live by (rapper) Jay-Z's mantra, ‘Don’t do something if you can’t do it twice’. If you cannot afford something twice over, you shouldn’t go for it. Having such an investment in the village doesn’t mean I can’t do the same in the city. My owning a Benz means I can afford another. But again, certain projects are for the future. I might have just invested in my retirement home. And even then, Covid-19 taught us that anything can happen. At least I will always have a good home to go back to.
How much did you spend on this project?
So far, I have spent Sh12 million; it needs another Sh3 million for finishing. The investment is worth it because for a similar venture in the city, we would be looking at Sh30 million to Sh50 million.
In terms of ones and zeros, was "Let Me Explain" show successful?
It was meant to be a small show. I wasn’t doing it for profit, but rather to test an idea and develop a product I could leverage in the future. I was doing this venture for my brand. I was prepared not to make any profit. If I had been doing it for profit, I wouldn't have chosen a small auditorium because the number of tickets we were targeting to sell was 500. However, by the day of the event, we had sold more than 800 tickets and had to close the ticketing because we didn’t have any more space. I am glad there was a return on investment.
