WHEN THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN + DATING TIPS FOR GEN X & MILLENIALS
A story about foundations — in buildings, love, sport, and sales. Same Forest. Different Monkeys.
Image credit: Composite image created for editorial commentary using publicly available photography (Italy & Kenya).
Before South C.
Before Pipeline. Before Ruaka, Ruiru, Syokimau.
There was the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
A mistake in foundation design. Soft ground. Bad assumptions. But here is the difference.
Pisa leaned. It didn’t fall.
Because engineers were listened to.
Warnings were documented. Corrections were made. Reinforcement followed.
Now fast-forward to Kenya’s leaning towers of Pizza — buildings red-tagged, condemned, evacuated, sometimes ignored… until gravity finishes the conversation.
The tragedy is not that buildings fall.
The tragedy is that they warned us first.
KENYA’S LEANING TOWERS: THE WARNINGS WE WALK PAST
In Kenya, condemnation notices are not surprises.
They are paperwork. Engineers write reports. Inspectors file observations.
Clerks of works raise red flags.
Somewhere between soil tests, approvals, and occupation certificates, the truth gets buried under optimism, pressure, money, and
“cheza kama wewe” (play like you).
Same concrete.
Same soil.
Different mjuajis (Know it alls) signing off.
THE ENGINEER WHO KEPT SAYING “STOP” (an alumni story)
There’s this engineer dude, my pal, good school (To The Uttermost).
Sharp… kama Wembe. (razor)
Engineer Robert Nyamongo is our go-to guy for things mjengo (construction).
He’s our Built Environment specialist.
Above his qualifications, there’s his project list. His technical storytelling.
Top Drawer.
His ability to explain soil, load paths, shortcuts, and failure points in language non-engineers understand.
He warned us here:
In the last 5 years 87 buildings have collapsed in Kenya. Last week’s was No 88.
More importantly — his warnings arrive before tragedy.
Kenya doesn’t lack engineers.
Kenya lacks the courage to listen to them.
A GLOBAL MIRROR: EVEN SINGAPORE STUMBLES
This is not a Kenyan problem alone.
In 2025, Singapore — a country Kenyans admire for efficiency and infrastructure — experienced multiple structural failures:
Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (Nov 26): partial roof collapse, Inspace Building, Bartley (Mar 11): 27-metre metal feature falls, Tanjong Katong Road (July): road sinkhole swallowed a vehicle, and many more.
The difference?
Investigations were immediate. Sites were closed. Rectifications followed.
Failure is universal.
Response is cultural.
PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING
Not all building is arrogance.
Some of the most disciplined construction work today is happening quietly — in the Kadogo economy.
Small teams. Visible workmanship. Thin margins. No place to hide.
TikTok builders. Floor decorators. Fit-out specialists.
Customers watching every step. Mistakes corrected in real time.
Then there is Amos Kibaru.
I have never met him. I watched his TikTok thingy. I checked his LinkedIn. Impressive.
Something about his documentation, restraint, and narrative suggests a possible breakthrough model for safe, repeatable, Kadogo-scale construction.
Mega failures often come from arrogance.
Kadogo builders survive on their precision and personal integrity.
FUNDI’S LOVE STORY: FOUNDATIONS, INTENTIONS & “WHERE IS THIS GOING?”
(Disclaimer: I am not an expert. Read responsibly.)
Let’s talk about love the same way we talk about buildings.
Because both collapse for the same reason.
Foundations were never agreed on.
There is a question women ask that City men fear:
“Where is this going?”
Let’s be honest.When a dude says,
“I don’t know,”
he usually means it.
Not as manipulation. Si kwa ubaya.(Not for bad)
Not as strategy.
He genuinely hasn’t visualised past now.
MEN LIVE IN THE IMMEDIATE. BECAUSE WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF NIGHT.
(A retired bachelor’s tale)
Men don’t date on a five-year Gantt chart.
We date on:
Tonight, …..This weekend
The next laugh, …..The next kiss
The available Fuliza limit…..
Our focus is short because the night is shorter.
We are not lying.
We are present-biased.
Kesi baadaye… (even courts had closed over Xmas)
THE TRIAL PERIOD NOBODY ADMITS EXISTS
Every app is honest.
Cancel anytime within 30 days.
Relationships pretend they’re not.
Some relationships are trials. Some are demos. Some are lessons.
Not every connection is meant to last.
Don’t force a demo unit to become a family home.
Same forest. Different monkeys. Another heartbreak.
THIS WEEK’S SPORTS PULLOUT: WORLD-CLASS EVENTS, EMPTY STORYLINES
Nairobi hosted the ITF W35 Women’s Tournament. It ended a few hours ago.
International players. Official tour calendar. Hotels quietly occupied.
Public awareness that could be boosted.
LATEST NAIROBI ITF RESULTS (W35 NAIROBI 2026)
Angella Okutoyi (KEN) won the 2026 W35 Nairobi Singles Title, defeating Italy’s Martina Colmegna in the final in a three-set battle. She also clinched the doubles title in the same tournament. SportPesa Blog
GO ANGIE !! GO KENYA!!
We need to host events like assets — not accidents.
For anyone out there interested — Fans, Ministry of Sports, Sports Fund, or any corporate that may want to invest in the future that is sport.
2026 Kenya Sports Highlights (with Economic Impact)
• Feb: Magical Kenya Open — DP World Tour (European PGA) Mar–Apr: Sunshine Tour Kenya Swing — Sunshine Tour (multiple events)
Economic impact: High-spend tourists, long stays, global broadcast exposure, premium hospitality
• Feb 14–15: HSBC SVNS 2 Nairobi — World Rugby SVNS 2
Economic impact: Short-stay tourism spike, beverage sales, transport demand, youth engagement, and international brand exposure.
• Mar: WRC Safari Rally Kenya — World Rally Championship Economic impact: Known
• Jun 7: Nairobi City Marathon Oct 25: Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon —
Economic impact: Mass participation fees, city branding, transport usage, hospitality, citizen-led tourism
🏀 Basketball (International & Regional)👉 https://www.kbf.co.ke
🏐 Volleyball (International & Continental)👉 https://www.volleyballkenya.org
⚽ Football / Soccer (International Fixtures & CAF Pathway)👉
https://footballkenya.org
WHEN EXCO (FINANCE) ASKS FOR JUSTIFICATION- HSBC SVNS 2 NAIROBI
CREDIBLE ASSUMPTIONS (BASED ON OTHER SVNS STOPS) Target attendance: 15,000 fans
2 nights hotel stay
1–2 Uber rides per day
Food, drinks, Kenya merch, ragged jeans, mtush jacket
WHAT 15,000 PEOPLE MEAN (KENYAN MATH)
Hotels: KSh 240M
Transport: KSh 45M
Food & drink: KSh 90M
Informal economy: real, uncounted.
SAMPLE ADULT DRINKS (TEI) SALES REPORT By Bamzigi, the quintessential van salesman
Product: Kenya Cane Lemon & Ginger (trending according to GenZs)
Assumption: 30% of the 15,000 strong crowd drinks KC
Day 1 – SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) 1 carton =12 bottles
Opening Stock-
250ml: 30,000 cartons 1 Ka Quarter RRP: KSh 350 → 12 × 30,000 = KSh 126,000,000
750ml: 15,000 cartons 1 Mzinga RRP: KSh 850 → 12 × 15,000 = Do the math….
Total loaded: 45,000 cartons
Sales: 60,000 cartons over half a billion (I didnt believe it either)
Balance: 0 + 15,000 IOUs
Day 2 Loading….
70,000 cartons
Numbers don’t argue.
A FRIENDLY NOTE TO MAGICAL KENYA
This is not instruction. Just a suggestion.
What if sports were embedded (if it hasn’t already been) — quietly, deliberately — into the Magical Kenya narrative?
Want to partner with rugby?
DM me…
Or look for our Jaber or TO huko KRU.
I’ll stop selling here…..
SALES 101 – THE REFRESH- Where to find customers in 2026
Same Forest Different Monkeys Blog- Target: 1,000 subscribers by December
Current: 385 Deficit: 615
Audit my phone contacts.
Phone contacts: 2,387
30% reach = 716 readers
+385 subscribers
1,101 by December
(30% because for every 10 people I call, I close 3)
Generic Happy New Year messages will be done by next week.
Time for personalised messages.
Every new person you met over the holidays. Your hot leads. Your customers (in that order)
Schedule the message for specific times:
In traffic
At home with a hot cup of chai
First drink
Everyone scrolls. Everyone skims.
Everyone reads messages with their name in them.
Example:
Hi Nyambura, hope you got home safe. Asante for the great time at the kesha. Barikiwa.
HNY.
No selling. No asking. They’ll save your number.
Wait 2 weeks.
Ask:
What are you doing on Valentine’s weekend?
If interested:
🎟 www.tikohub.com
Works like magic.
(Also be ready to pay for a few friends.)
THE END.
THE WARM DOWN
Buildings fall when foundations are ignored.
Sports fail when foundations are ignored.
Sales fail when foundations are ignored.
Love fails when foundations are ignored.
Same forest.
Different monkeys.
Thought provoking on two fronts 1) buildings collapse and we do not learn from it; 2) the potential of sporting events that are treated like accidents! Love the concise, precise, staccato writing style. Kudos!
Fantastic write up again 👍🏾
I really look forward to your articles, bro. Keep it up, and be knowing that I share widely 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾✊🏾💪🏾👊🏾🫵🏾🙏🏾🙌🏾