Mzee Ogada, aka Ogada Rovers, is probably the most popular mechanic in Kenya. He became a social media sensation in 2021 as part of Eric Omondi’s “Wife Material” crew. He was then working as the comedian’s chauffeur.
Since then, Ogada has been the mechanic of choice for various Kenyan celebrities such as Jalang’o, Eve Mungai, 2mbili, Kaligraph, Ringtone, and others. However, like most success stories, Ogada’s is one of “from rags to riches.”
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Born in Oyugis Nyanza, Ogada attended Pondo Secondary, where he did his KCSE and got a C plain.
“My mother did not have money to take me to campus,”
he says.
After completing his form 4 in 2010, Ogada moved to Nairobi after some altercations with the village chief. A naïve villager, he thought life in the city would be one of constant partying, fun, and pomp.
He was gravely disappointed.
He says he was initially hosted by his uncle, who lived in Kibera then. After hosting him for a few days, the uncle introduced him to mjengo projects so he could learn to hassle for himself.
“My first day as a construction worker was so tough that I demanded my uncle for fare to return to the village. However, he refused and encouraged me to look for other ways to survive”,
says the mechanic.
Passion For Vehicles
Ogada’s passion for cars started when he was still in the village. One day, a pickup delivering construction materials to his home stalled. No one in Oyugis had the faintest idea of what could be wrong with the vehicle.
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Consequently, it stalled for two days until a mechanic was sent from Kisumu to fix it.
“I was curious to know what was so complex about a vehicle that nobody in Oyugis could fix it, and we had to wait for a mechanic from Kisumu.”
Says the mechanic.
During the pickup’s repair, Ogada was very curious and kept asking the mechanic questions about what he was doing.
Apprentice Mechanic
While strolling in Nairobi streets looking for mjengo projects, Ogada met a friend who said he was working as an apprentice mechanic. Ogada asked whether he could accompany him to his garage since he also wanted to know how to be a mechanic.
He accompanied the apprentice to Kibera’s fort Jesus area, where he met the garage owner. To teach Ogada, the garage owner demanded ksh 54,000.
“I bargained with him until he agreed to teach me for ksh 45 000.”
Says Ogada.
He sold two of his village cows in the village, raised ksh 30 000, sent the money to the garage owner, and the classes began.
After working for six months in the garage, Ogada and his fellow apprentices were dismissed after a client complained that some parts of his vehicle had been stolen in the garage.
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The mechanic found another position with another garage, where he says his salary was ksh 150 per week. He worked in the garage for two years.
While there, he realized that most mechanics specialized in repairing Japanese vehicles, leaving a massive gap for German and British machines – especially range rovers.
Range Rovers
Ever the opportunist, Ogada decided to learn about range rovers and how to repair them. His connections led him to another garage that had a steady supply of clients who owned range rovers.
After explaining his plight, the garage owner – named Ken – agreed to teach him about range rovers. However, he would only be paid for repairing Japanese cars, not range rovers.
Ogada worked in Ken’s garage for about 6months, after which he got connections to work in a bigger garage.
Henceforth, he washed his hands off Japanese vehicles and started specializing in range rovers.
Celebrities
Ogada’s first celebrity client was Eric Omondi, whom he says he met while working at Ken’s garage. The comedian had brought his range rover for repair.
However, at that time, client-mechanic relationships were frowned upon by Ogada’s employer, so he did not talk a lot with Eric.
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The duo met later when Eric’s Range Rover stalled on Mombasa Road.
“As a mechanic, I find it hard to pass stalled vehicles on the road; I have to get out and ask the driver whether everything is okay. Coincidentally, I met Eric on that day,“
says the mechanic.
His fame as Ogada Rovers rose during Eric Omondi’s controversial “wife material” show. When Eric was arrested, Ogada was working as his chauffeur at the time. During the altercations at Central police station, Eric introduced him to other celebrities.
“Eric Omondi promoted my business on his social media channels. He also requested Eve Mungai to feature me on her channel, and her interview made me instantly famous.”
Ogada Rovers
In 2020, Ogada partnered with fellow mechanics to form a garage called King rovers, where he worked for three years.
He then opened his garage, dubbed Ogada Rovers. Here, he has employed six workers.
“I love helping other youths so that I can give back to society in the same way others helped me to be where I am,”
he says.
He owns four vehicles: A Mercedes, a Range Rover, a Subaru, and a Mitsubishi. His dream car is an Audi TT.
“Mechanic work pays,”
says the father of two.
He attributes his achievements to hard work and acceptance. While other mechanics would shy off at wearing overalls, wondering what others would think about them, Ogada says he always wants everyone to know he is a mechanic.
His advice to upcoming mechanics is to know what they want in life, embrace opportunities, and respect others.