All Struggles have a happy ending, and Bernard Kamulu, popularly known as Bena Wa Malines, can attest to this. Bena opened up about his tough childhood that drove him to doing odd jobs to supplement his parent’s income.
Bena, a student at Mount Kenya University (MKU) in Thika, said he once worked at a construction site and as a matatu tout to raise school fees.
“I did not have fees, and my house locked over rent arrears, so I returned home. My parent does not have consistent work and also have to provide for my other siblings, so I decided to look for work.” He said.
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He was linked to the tout job by his friend who worked in the matatu industry but later quit to focus on content creation.
The 22-year-old discovered his comedy talent while he was still in high school at Muhoho High School in Gatundu, although he did not take it seriously.
The journalism student became famous in 2022 when one of his funny videos with a Kamba accent went viral on social media.
Bena revealed that was his first video on his official TikTok account, as all other previous videos were uploaded on someone else’s account since he did not have a platform then.
‘’After my friend posted the video, I went through the comments and saw people asking several questions, including why I had not put up my channel. So, I decided to put up one to answer those questions,’’ he told Pulse.
His consistency and relevance in his content have made him a household name. His trademark outfit, which includes a red bandana, and vest, has also contributed to his recognition.
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Bena’s famous quotes, “Ukipata chance ya kutesa, tesa,” “Life is short,” and “Pulaia maisa mehn,” has resonated with his fans.
According to him, content creation is lucrative, but monetizing it is quite a challenge. His future plans include setting up his own production company to support young talents.
His advice to the young generation is not to be picky on jobs but to try every opportunity on their way as long as it’s of value.
“Young people are in comfort zones, and many shun certain types of jobs. But at the end of the day, money does not say where it comes from, whether you did mjengo (construction work) or something else,” He said.