Grace to Grass: Tale of Kenyan Millionaire Who Became Broke, Now Hawks Books on Streets
- Richard Kioko Kiundi knows wealth like the palm of his hand, but he now leads a life that is a complete contrast
- Straight out of campus, the man known as The Duke of Emali quickly rose through the corporate ladder to amass a fortune
- Unfortunately, everything came crashing down in shambles
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Richard Kioko Kiundi, popularly known as 'The Duke of Emali', rose from a young man fresh from university to a high-flying accountant.
Source: Youtube
With money rolling in, the man from Makueni County led a lavish lifestyle that took him beyond the borders.
Got well-paying job at Toyota Kenya
In an interview with Afrimax English, Kioko disclosed that life started in the civil service, where he served the country in different roles before landing a job that changed his life.
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It all began when the career accountant was having a beer and bumped into a gentleman who offered him four times the salary he had been earning.
"I was earning about R570 then, so I quoted R2 300, and the man told me to report to the Toyota Kenya office at the Nyayo Stadium roundabout," he recalled.
Kioko quickly rose through the ranks at Toyota and was soon promoted to Operations Manager before resigning to join Kenya Pipeline.
Owned lavish house, 3 cars
He was earning enough money to afford a magnificent house, own three cars and take his four children to prestigious schools.
However, everything he had built started crumbling in 2013 when he was informed that he had a mild stroke and was admitted to HDU.
Kioko was treated and discharged; however, a few months later, he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his stomach.
"I was told I was the luckiest person on earth because stomach cancer is not easy to detect until it is too late," he continued.
It happened that he had resigned to start a company he was forced to sell. With no income and the treatment gobbling all his money, Kioko soon fell behind on his financial obligations.
"I got into debt, which I could not pay, and they kept on growing, which caused me more stress," he said.
Through the Wilderness of Life
Having gone through a difficult period and gotten back to health, he wrote a book titled Through the Wilderness of Life, which details the life lessons he had picked.
Photos in the book show the different countries Kioko visited during his heyday and the prominent personalities he interacted with.
Kioko maintains that he may not be as wealthy as before, but he has found fulfilment in selling books on the streets of Kenya.
Sandile Shezi offers to pay R10K weekly instalment after pleading bankruptcy
In another story reported by Briefly News, it never rains but pours for troubled businessman Sandile Shezi, who is currently under investigation for fraud. Shezi reportedly asked the officers investigating his case to plead for mercy from the victim and ask him to accept a weekly payment of R10K until the money is paid in full.
The publication further noted that Shezi claimed he had hit hard times and couldn't pay in full. He said he made the initial payment and promised to increase the instalments in the coming weeks.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
