The story of Samuel Muchoki Ndirangu, alias Samidoh, is a perfect example of from grass to grace.
Samidoh has risen from humble beginnings to being arguably the most formidable Kikuyu Benga artist.
The Kikuyu songs hitmaker came into the limelight in 2016 following his hit song Ndiri Mutwe Mwega, which has over 4.1 million views on Youtube. He is a household name in Kenya thanks to the danceable beat of his songs.
But few people know about Samidoh’s past and how he’s come to build a successful brand from his guitar music. Here is his story:
Samidoh was born in Subukia, Nakuru County to Michale Ndirangu and Miriam Wairimu. Samidoh has had it rough since his early days, terming it ‘painful’. He is the third born in a family of three children, consisting of 4 boys and 2 girls.
At the age of 3, Samidoh recalls losing his father, a harsh experience for him. His father who worked in Molo was killed during the 1990s clashes
“I grew up without a father figure. My father died when I was three years old. We had a very humble background and problems seemed to always come my way,” he said in a past interview.
Samidoh’s mother was a farmer who had earned peanuts that she used to educate, clothe and feed her children. Samidoh attended his primary school at Oljororok Primary School until class seven.
He then dropped out to supplement the family’s income stream by herding animals.
“I always felt obliged to support my mother at all costs. I used to herd cattle in Subukia to complement what my mother earned for a full term. This is a story many from Kirengero village know,” he said.
Luck smiled at him when his mother’s friend learned about his situation. She took him back to school. Samidoh joined Kieni Primary School where he sat his KCPE exams in 2003.
Samidoh received a call-up to join the Jomo Kenyatta High School in Bahati, but he never even bothered to open the letter.
“There was no way I would have joined such an expensive school when survival alone was a challenge to us. I chose to join Kieni Secondary, a sister school to my former primary school,” he said.
Not long after, his relatives drove Samidoh’s mother and her children away from their homestead. This forced the fatherless family to relocate to Oljororok in Nyandarua County.
Samidoh was admitted to Oljororok Secondary School in 2004, but sadly, his mother passed on two weeks after he joined high school. This left him orphaned as a minor.
“When my mother died my siblings left with our uncles and aunts. Living with relatives comes with its challenges, and I didn’t want any of that. I felt man enough to live on my own.”
He says that he would return from school and do house chores before working on his homework. He relied on his neighbors to get food for four years until he finished in 2008.
Worth noting, Samidoh met his first wife, Edith Muchoki at Oljororok. She was his high school sweetheart in form 4 while she was in form 3.
After form 4, Samidoh packed his bags and moved to Nairobi for a fresh start, in pursuit of a music career. Samidoh always had a passion for music from early on.
At school, he was the choir leader and the worship team leader for Christian Union (CU). He joined Kamande wa Kioi’s band as a backup vocalist. His elder brother played as a drummer in the band.
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In 2011, with the meager pay he received from his stint at the band, Samidoh enrolled at the Kenya Polytechnic University for a Diploma in Business Information Technology.
As fate would have it, like most graduates, Samidoh would also fail at securing a permanent job.
“I tarmacked for two years. I would come to the city and back to the village. My elder brother would host me, but I felt I was stretching him too far. I had to go back home where I worked on a local flower farm,” he recalled.
Another ray of light shone on him when he got the chance to join the National Police Service. After college, he took his papers to the area District Commission seeking a job.
Little did he know that the DC would eventually recruit him to the police force. The DC asked him if he could run and he answered that he could.
At the recruitment exercise, Samidoh emerged second and was recruited in October 2013.
He graduated from the NPS in 2014 after 15 vigorous months of training. His first operation was in Eastleigh, Nairobi.
Thereafter he was transferred to Mpeketoni, and later to Daadab in Garissa County where he worked for six years. It was here that he launched his music career.
During his stint with Kamande wa Kioi’s band and at Kenya Polytechnic, Samidoh recorded a few songs, but which did not get airplay.
It was during his posting to Daadab in Northern Kenya that his vocals reawakened his talent and he gave a second try at music.
Samidoh was transferred to Athi-River station as an Administration Police.
How much does Samidoh earn?
Samidoh has amassed so much wealth to date. As an Administration police officer, he is entitled to a monthly salary, and other allowances.
Secondly, Samidoh has a Youtube channel with more than 319,000 subscribers. This account fetches him between Sh. 60,000 and Sh. 120,000 since each time he uploads a video, he gets more than a million views on the post.
Samidoh is also a mugithi club owner. He is the proprietor behind Unique Tavern, which hosts a number of powerful, wealthy politicians who pay him well for occasional concerts.
The restaurant is adjacent to Kunste Hotel and Platinum 7D club. He also owns Sparkling Beachview Carwash Bar & Restaurant, and another club in Githurai 44.
Furthermore, Samidoh has three rental apartments, from which he rakes in Sh. 400,000 on a monthly basis. He charges tenants Sh. 7,000 each.
Samidoh mints a huge chunk of his fortune from holding live shows across the country. For example, during the 2022 campaign season, he performed at Raila Odinga’s rallies. He’s also held live shows in the US and Dubai.
Samidoh also has mansions in the village and city and a luxurious sports Utility Vehicle; Toyota Harrier which costs between Sh. 2 million and Sh. 5 million.