A Nairobi-based financial commentator has opened up about one of the biggest money mistakes of his life: spending millions of shillings to build his mother a home in the village.
Speaking during a candid podcast, he explained that society had conditioned him, like many African men, to believe that building a home was the ultimate measure of success.
How the Decision Drained His Wealth
But he was quick to add that he now considers the decision one of the most foolish he ever made, not because his mother did not deserve a good house, but because he went about it the wrong way.
The man revealed that when he received a compensation payout, one of the first things he did was channel a significant portion of it into constructing his mother’s home.
He described the amount as substantial, yet acknowledged he could not truly afford it at the time, at least not without sacrificing his financial future.
“It is one of the most stupid things I ever did. Not because my mother is not worth a good house, but I think I never knew how to love my mother. I just did like an African boy,” he said.
The core of his argument is straightforward: building a home before creating assets turns a house into a liability.
If you are still obligated to support your mother financially every month, as he says he was, the house solves one problem while creating another ongoing expense.
What He Discovered About Investing
His thinking shifted after he learnt about regulated investment vehicles, including special funds and equity funds licensed by the government, some of which he says generate returns of around 30% annually.
To illustrate his point, he did a simple calculation: if he had taken KSh 3 million and placed it in such a fund generating 30%, he would have earned roughly 900,000 shillings within the first year alone.
That return, he argued, could have been used to support his mother in a more sustainable way without eroding his capital.
“If you are building before you put up assets, you are actually giving your poverty a physical address,” he said, coining what has become the most-quoted line from the interview.
His advice is not to stop caring for parents, but to let investments do the heavy lifting first and only build after establishing income-generating assets.
Watch the full interview where the man breaks down his financial regret and investment lessons:
