The Lie Kenyans Believe About Making IT Ft. Mwenda Thuranira

Mwenda Thuranira once hauled bricks on construction sites in Dallas, Texas — a Kenyan far from home, doing mjengo to survive. Then one day he walked into an American bank, borrowed $20,000, flipped a house, and doubled his money. That single deal lit a fire that would follow him across the Atlantic. But here's the part nobody tells you: when he came back to Kenya, the country he wanted to build in didn't want to fund him. Six years. In and out of banking halls in Nairobi. All he had was a vision — and the banks saw risk, not potential. Today, Mwenda Thuranira is the founder and CEO of MySpace Properties, one of Kenya's most recognized real estate firms, managing billions in property from Mombasa to Nairobi. He's an author (Taking Up Space), a mentor, and living proof that the road from casual labourer to mogul is real — just not the way Instagram sells it. In this conversation on Dialogues with Jagero, Mwenda takes us through his early life in Meru, the American years that shaped him, why he says employment — not entrepreneurship — gave him his edge, the decision to plant his flag in Mombasa first, and the hard, unglamorous truth about breaking into Kenya's real estate industry. If you've ever been told to play small, this one is for you. To reach Treden, contact them on the WhatsApp number below: On contacts use this numbers only. +254116311000 +14707255535 Support the podcast — your contribution keeps these conversations alive. Want to be a guest on Dialogues with Jagero? Apply here: https://dialogueswithjagero.com/apply Interested in collaborating with us? Check out: https://dialogueswithjagero.com/collaboration Buy the Goldmine: Hustles For Africans here: https://dialogueswithjagero.com/goldmine Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3mEX7L5GcOnX7LVYYlHlaw/join For new episodes, subscribers only content, and job opportunities, subscrive here: https://dwj.beehiiv.com Wanna support the channel: Mpesa Till Number: 5253673 Or Buy Me Coffee here: buymeacoffee.com/jagero