Media personality and comedian Jaymo Ule Msee is among the earliest Kenyan millennials to leverage social media platforms and make some money.
Real name, Wilson Muranira, he is considered one of the big names today in the Kenyan comedy industry. His character aims to tell ordinary Kenyans stories in a relatable and hilarious way.
Comedy Journey
Jaymo attended primary and secondary schools in Kiambu County and later joined the University of Nairobi. While in high school, Jaymo loved participating in entertainment activities such as pranks and music.
This was how he charted his path in the entertainment sector. In campus, Jaymo partnered with a friend, Masai, and they would perform skits together to entertain comrades.
Albeit being a UoN graduate with a degree in Political Science and Economics, Jaymo’s passion was directed towards being a good vibe & lighting smiles on people’s faces.
However, after completing his undergraduate degree, the radio presenter got a job as a relationship officer with a leading bank. He was posted to its rural branch.
While to many, such an opportunity would lead to excitement, he instead felt incompleteness. After 6 months, he quit the job.
“I felt that my mind was not being engaged enough, largely because of the routine associated with my role. When I told my parents and friends that I had quit, they were puzzled and thought it was the wrong move, but I knew what I wanted,” he said in a past interview.
After a few months, Jaymo started his website ‘whatshappening.co.ke’, which focused on current affairs. He later sold the website to Nation Media Group, for an undisclosed fee. At this time, he was working for the media house under NTV in the digital division.
“I cannot tell you how much I sold it for, but they integrated the site into another product,” he mentioned.
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He later quit the NTV job and joined ‘Squad Digital’, as the digital accountant manager. Later on, he would quit the marketing agency to chase his dreams.
In 2015, he launched ‘Ujinga Saucer’, a local web series that discussed trending social issues. He and his friend would sit down and analyse stories from a silly point of view; stories such as the infamous Pastor Kanyari fiasco.
It was in this period that he introduced ‘Jaymo Ule Msee’ to the world. Despite many having trouble distinguishing his real identity, Wilson Muranira (Jaymo) says that he chose the name as it would resonate better with people unlike, ‘Wilson that guy’.
“Most people think that my name is James,” he says.
Starting out on the content creation journey was challenging, as he would only rake in 50 views from his clips on YouTube and Facebook. The entertainer’s consistency led him to his big break, which saw him attract big brands in Kenya.
In an interview with Larry Madowo on NTV, Jaymo advised that the only way a person can attain success in comedy is if they are committed and consistent.
“I’ll say something cliche: every challenge for me is an opportunity. I don’t believe in sitting down and making statements such as ‘I do not have cameras’ or ‘I don’t have money so I will not do it now’.”
“I see challenges as an opportunity, if anything. I have a team that i can rely on.”
He further asserted that education is important even though one may not follow their career path. This is because education can act as a great backup plan if all else fails.
Jaymo has uploaded over 430 videos to his YouTube Channel. His most popular video on the platform is ‘How SPONSORS lure young ladies!!’. His channel has over 26 million views.
“Social Media has been a revelation for the brand. It has redefined how you and I receive information…for me, using social media to market my talent was, and is my strategy,” he concluded.
Jaymo currently works as a radio host at Trace Eastern Africa, with his shows running from 7pm – 10pm, every Monday to Friday. He also has a podcast (bartalkpodcastke) he runs with fellow radio host Cliff the Cliff.
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