Success stories are always inspiring, and when it comes to rags-to-riches tales, they become even more captivating.

One such story is that of the late Mzee James Kisia who started his journey to success with just Sh. 1,000 loan some decades ago.

Kisia’s journey to becoming a billionaire was not an easy one. He faced several challenges and obstacles along the way. But his perseverance and hard work paid off in the end, making him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Kenya today.

Kisia was born in Mwala, Machakos County in 1939. After completing his primary education, he enrolled in high school, where he excelled in academics. He later went on to study at Machakos Teachers’ College, where he obtained his teaching certificate.

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After graduating, Kisia got a job as a teacher, but he soon realized that his salary was not enough to support his growing family. He then decided to venture into business, starting with just a Sh. 1,000 loan from his uncle.

With the money, Kisia bought curios, sold them, and made a profit of Sh. 2,600, which he used to pay back his uncle. He started the business in August 1961, and five months later, he had made a profit of Sh. 6,000.

Kisia then left his teaching job and ventured into business full-time.

Kisia started mingling with people in the business world, including David Ngati, who was well-known for making Sh. 1,000 profit monthly, and Kyale Mwendwa, the owner of Nairobi’s St Austin’s Academy, who was making Sh. 625 profit monthly.

Kisia began investing in real estate and bought a four-bedroom house in the Central Business District in Mombasa with a loan from a bank.

He also got into the transport business and bought matatus, but unfortunately, Lady Luck was not on his side.

He was forced to sell his matatus to an Indian for Sh. 90,000, but he was only given Sh. 30,000. Kisia then invested the Sh. 30,000 in a tyre business in Dar-es-Salaam and made a profit of Sh. 300,000.

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He then went on to own parcels of land and rental houses in Kilifi, Shimba Hills, Kwale, Machakos, Mombasa, and Nairobi.

Kisia’s investments paid off, and he became a wealthy man. He was the first Kamba to purchase a house in Mombasa along Jomo Kenyatta Avenue, where he bought three houses.

He owned five houses along Jomo Kenyatta Avenue, one of which has 55 shops and 140 flats. In a previous  interview with The Nairobian in 2015, he revealed that his net worth was over Sh. 2 billion.

Despite his success, Kisia had faced accusations of having majini (evil spirits) due to his wealth.

“I have been accused of having majini and because I come from a clan of intellectuals, I said yes, I do have majini. I went ahead to tell those accusing me of having majini that I have brought five lorries full of majini to my rural home. This was just to scare them. Nobody would pick my property without permission.” he had narrated in a past interview.

Kisia also set up a family trust to prevent a fallout over money in the family, ensuring that none of his children will reap where they did not sow.

“None of my children will reap where they did not sow. There will be no wastage of money and other assets,” said Kisia who married two wives. One had seven children, the other three.

“All my children went to the US and became doctors. Unfortunately, one of them passed on after graduating,” said Kisia. He died at the age of 91.