Coffee Pump Podcast

Konnichiwa, Nurani Nimpuno has been shaping the internet for 25 years and most people have never heard of her. Born in Sweden to Dutch Indonesian parents, she got into tech because she liked computer games, handed out IP addresses at RIPE NCC before she knew what Unix was, spent years at APNIC and Netnod, chaired Euro-IX, sat on the team that moved internet governance out of US government hands, and then helped build the exchange point in Mombasa and Nairobi. She now runs strategy for LINX - London Internet Exchange. This episode was recorded at the Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum (https://www.afpif.org) in collaboration with the African IXP Association (https://www.af-ix.org). We talk about: – Scuba diving with reef sharks, and why an hour underwater leaves you exhausted – Going back to school for an Executive MBA – What she learned at Yale University – Growing up in Sweden – The mango she ate in Mombasa at 11 that made her want to come back – Leaving a comfortable job to start an internet exchange…

Konnichiwa, Michael Marras is a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer turned health and performance coach, and he runs Fit Fatherhood. The whole idea behind it is that looking after yourself is not vanity, it is responsibility. Strong in the body, disciplined in the mind, present for the people who depend on you and grounded in something bigger, so you can lead your family with courage, humility and consistency. He started out as my fitness coach, then it turned into life coaching, and somewhere along the way he became more of an elder brother to me. That is why this one is less about training and more about everything sitting underneath it. This episode went nowhere near where I planned. I had a whole list of fitness questions lined up, peptides, steroids, all of it, and I binned the lot after a call we had the week before where Coach Mike said something that stopped me cold. We talk about: - The line that started it: when God wants an impossible task done, he takes an impossible man and crushes him…

Konnichiwa, This one comes to you from Kigali, recorded at AfPIF in August with Robert Nkeramugaba, or Bob, as everyone calls him. Bob is a system architect at Broadband Systems Corporation and has been there ten years. Outside the day job he produces music, paints, and writes poetry. We first met in Kigali back in 2021 at a point where we were both going through it, and this is the first time we have sat down on camera. We talk about: - How we met in Kigali in 2021 and why men don't have enough of these conversations - Why Bob's dad named him after Robert Mugabe, and why it only appears on his baptism card - Kigali nightlife, the new arena, and Kenyans flying in for the basketball - Producing an EP for a spoken word artist and building sound from African instruments - Painting, curation, and where to find art in Kigali - Born in Burundi, moved to Rwanda at ten, and the architecture degree he never got to do - Cyber cafes in 1999 and what it took to hand in a single university assignment - Using AI to…

Hello beautiful people! Welcome to the caffeinated debrief where we catch up on the weekly news that caught our eye. From stocks to invest in to news around pop culture, we talk about everything trending that week. YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/live/OWqQwnQMFtI?si=pkPddgWsiHDkXVw- Get your tickets for the Couch Connect x Coffee Pump Live Event: https://tikko.co.ke/event/0a16ec18-fa65-440e-8004-0211164a3f3f Live Sponsored By Fastbird Reach out to them on WhatsApp: +254 727158793 Fastbird Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fastbirdkenya Fastbird Website: https://companyreg.co.ke/ And yes, our coffee beans and tea are officially live for you to order: https://coffeepumppodcast.com/shop Order Our Coffee and Wallpapers: https://wa.me/c/254707696969 Join Our Membership and get access to videos early: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZKGnWZWb-S9wJdz9IGDTw/join Find our host Sajid Vayani: - Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sajvayani Find Fazzar: - https://www.instagram.com/fazzywazzy7/ Find Collins: -…

Hello beautiful people! Welcome to the caffeinated debrief where we catch up on the weekly news that caught our eye. From stocks to invest in to news around pop culture, we talk about everything trending that week. YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/live/2levO3xMiEA?si=4bd1VkAoXEOGvXIp Get your tickets for the Couch Connect x Coffee Pump Live Event: https://tikko.co.ke/event/0a16ec18-fa65-440e-8004-0211164a3f3f Live Sponsored By Fastbird Reach out to them on WhatsApp: +254 727158793 Fastbird Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fastbirdkenya Fastbird Website: https://companyreg.co.ke/ And yes, our coffee beans and tea are officially live for you to order: https://coffeepumppodcast.com/shop Order Our Coffee and Wallpapers: https://wa.me/c/254707696969 Join Our Membership and get access to videos early: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZKGnWZWb-S9wJdz9IGDTw/join Find our host Sajid Vayani: - Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sajvayani Find Fazzar: - https://www.instagram.com/fazzywazzy7/ Find Collins: -…

Hello beautiful people! Let’s catch up on the weekly news over a cup of coffee. From politics to gaming and everything in between. Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/live/t_gWuKN6fME?si=onMXDRBwQXRv1WER Get your tickets for the Couch Connect x Coffee Pump Live Event: https://tikko.co.ke/event/0a16ec18-fa65-440e-8004-0211164a3f3f Live Sponsored By Fastbird Reach out to them on WhatsApp: +254 727158793 Fastbird Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fastbirdkenya Fastbird Website: https://companyreg.co.ke/ And yes, our coffee beans and tea are officially live for you to order: https://coffeepumppodcast.com/shop Order Our Coffee and Wallpapers: https://wa.me/c/254707696969 Join Our Membership and get access to videos early: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZKGnWZWb-S9wJdz9IGDTw/join Find our host Sajid Vayani: - Linktree: https://linktr.ee/sajvayani Find Fazzar: - https://www.instagram.com/fazzywazzy7/ Find Collins: - https://www.instagram.com/cmmulinge/ 0:00 – Montage & Soundcheck 5:47 – Preps for the New…

Konnichiwa Fam, Everyone I've had on this series kept saying the same name, so we closed AfPIF Kigali with Brian Munyao Longwe. Before he helped bring the internet to Kenya he was washing mitumba shirts and selling them out of a briefcase in Nairobi offices, and he got his first tech job by knocking on every door from ABC Place to town until someone said yes. He talks openly about burnout, the shares he forgot to ask for, and getting sober eight years ago. This episode was recorded at the Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum (https://www.afpif.org) in collaboration with the African IXP Association (https://www.af-ix.org) - ⁠ We talk about: – A Harvard MBA dad with a gambling problem, and 27 houses by age 27 – Washing mitumba shirts and selling them to men in offices out of a briefcase – Knocking on every office door in Nairobi for a week to land a 4,000 bob job – Starting Corporate Computers and selling PCs at 250,000 with no elevator – Walking away from his first company and handing back his shares –…

Konnichiwa, Shikoli Makatiani was Africa Online's first employee. He ran the servers that carried Kenya's first emails from under his bed in Boston, dropped out of college at 20 to go set up the internet in Abidjan, and came back to build the security monitoring that sat on KIXP watching people try to hack their way into the country. Now he's founding CTO at Akili AI putting AI agents inside Kenyan banks and hospitals. We start with the Anthropic resignation tweet and go from there. We talk about: – The Anthropic tweet, and whether the doom talk is really a play for regulation – His conspiracy theory: an AI escape, wiped savings, and digital IDs – Quantum computers, and what happens to your Bitcoin when the key breaks – Kakamega to Boston at 18, and the deodorant his brother's friend bought him – The Next computer he thought he had killed, and the Unix book that changed everything – Selling Nairobi newspaper summaries to Kenyan students in the US by modem – How that became Africa Online, and the servers…

Konnichiwa Fam, Abdel Kader Traoré is one of the sales guys I look up to in this industry, and this is the first time I've heard his full story. He started as a telecom engineer building 2G networks in Côte d'Ivoire, designed the radio network for Algeria, built the first 10 gig backbone in France, then did an MBA so he could get closer to the people making the decisions. Now he runs Middle East and Africa for BICS, and he's honest about how thin the margins have become and where the money goes next. This episode was recorded at the Africa Peering and Interconnection Forum (https://www.afpif.org) in collaboration with the African IXP Association (https://www.af-ix.org). We talk about: – Growing up in Abidjan, and why Côte d'Ivoire is doing better than its neighbours – Building 2G networks before data was even the point – Five years in Algeria and Tunisia with two different weekends – Moving to France and the shock of process after doing everything by hand – Seeing the first 10 gig SFP and now selling 400 gig…

Konnichiwa, Recorded live at AfPIF 2026 in Kigali. Said Alli is the Executive Chairman and CEO of MoveOn Telecoms, and he got there by accident. He wanted to work in aviation, ended up at Makerere studying IT, and has spent the last two decades building networks across East Africa. Six Telecoms, Raha, Green Telecom in Tanzania, and now a business connecting people through Starlink in places fibre will never reach. We get into: – Wanting a career in aviation and how that turned into telecoms – Growing up in Uganda and what university actually taught him – Rugby, and what the game gave him that the classroom didn't – His first networking job and learning the trade from the ground up – Moving from engineering into business development – Joining Raha in Tanzania and what that market taught him – Founding Green Telecom and what nearly broke it – Running MoveOn Telecoms and building wireless infrastructure – Working with SpaceX and what satellite really changes for rural Africa – Open access fibre and why the…

Konnichiwa, Ogato is back before he heads home to Canada, and we start with him reacting to the GTA 6 trailer for the first time, which turns into a full history of Rockstar. From there it goes where it always does with him: whether short men are angrier, why private schools charge you a fortune for the same teacher as the public school down the road, and what actually happens to your DNA as you get older. We talk about: – Ogato reacting to GTA 6 and why Rockstar built the sandbox – PSSR vs DLSS, explained for people who don't game – Ngong Hills, falling into Longonot and the Amref cover that costs 3,000 bob a year – Private medical insurance and why hospitals milk you once they know you're covered – Greed as the one thing every industry runs on, mosques and churches included – The Napoleon complex and whether short kings are angrier – Voice breaking, forced deep voices and the accent I switch on for customers – ADHD, KCPE and why exam scores can't tell you who's a dumbass – Why private schools are a scam…

Konnichiwa Recorded live at AfPIF 2026 in Kigali. Frank Habicht was our first guest of the week, and his story is not what you'd expect from a man who runs Tanzania's internet exchange. He grew up in East Germany, went to Tanzania in 1998 for a student conference, met his wife because she complained about his handwriting, and never really left. Twenty years later he's still there, and he's spent most of them building the infrastructure the rest of us take for granted. We get into: – Why they call him the vulture – Climbing Kilimanjaro at 25 and struggling more on the way down – Africa Online, dial-up, and running a country's internet off satellite – The years when Dar and Nairobi could only talk to each other via Norway – Five years drilling for gold, and why leaving the ISP world made him more useful – Choosing the tallest building in Dar so no competitor had the advantage – The day VPNs got shut off across an entire country – Beijing on the night of the Olympics opening ceremony, and an empty plane out –…

Konnichiwa Fam, On this episode Andrew Kibe and Emmanuel Kisiangani of ​⁠ come through. I spend two hours as the only married man in the room, which Kibe does not let go of for a second. We get into why Kibe says every married man is done, what Kigali showed us about how a country can actually work, why he feels the 2027 elections end in violence, and the courtroom reality of child support that nobody talks about until they're in it. We talk about: – Why Kibe says marriage solves nothing, and the question I couldn't answer – Losing half a million subscribers overnight and what he's doing next – Aluta, the platform he signed with that morning, and why it out-earns YouTube – Kigali vs Nairobi and whether Rwanda works without Kagame – His 2027 prediction, and whether democracy was ever real here – The Victoria Mutiso murder and the property fight behind it – Child support courts, prenups and why he says you can't reason with a woman – Getting a girlfriend in the work lift and why there's no bro code – BBC, the…

Konnichiwa, We recorded this episode at AfPIF 2026 in Kigali, and my guest is Isabel Odida, better known as Izzy, Peering Manager at Gcore and VP of Peering DB. She's Ugandan, based in Dubai, and looks after peering strategy across more than 210 points of presence globally. She also insists her story isn't that interesting, which you'll see is nonsense about four minutes in. We get into: – What a CDN actually does, and me pitching her our Mombasa data centre live on air – Why her entire job is getting things for free, and why that's harder than selling – Doing university and college at the same time, six days a week, no social life – Teaching kids at church for six years, and the day she walked away from it – Building a functioning ISP in one week at AFNOG – Being hired as a CTO with no IoT experience and learning it on the job – Two years running an NGO, and what happens if you underspend the budget – Sitting in rooms with the people who wrote the internet's foundations – Why the industry robbed her of ever…

Konnichiwa Fam, Fareed Khimani is back, and this one goes from a sin tax nobody can explain to a conversation about identity that I wasn't ready for. He's working inside government now doing comms for the Ministry of Agriculture, he's rebranding Kenyan tea, and he leaves for Karachi this month to direct a documentary on brain health. Then, near the end, he turned it around on me and asked who I actually am without my job title. We talk about: – Why there's now a sin tax on glass and timber, and nobody can explain the logic – Sixty five percent on imported timber and what that does to affordable housing – The tea levy, and why farmers were told they're the ones paying it – Reaching 386,000 tea farmers by SMS instead of posting infographics on Instagram – Being critical of government while working for it – The Nyeri road and giving credit where infrastructure has actually improved – Selling his car at 32 to go to film school in Brighton – Shooting on real film and why nothing gets made that way anymore –…

Konnichiwa, On this episode Emmanuel Kisiangani and Bashir Halaiki come through and we go from totally unserious to uncomfortably honest. We get into what donor money actually funds, why the beggar on the roundabout will still be there next year, and then the part I didn't plan on saying out loud: the people closest to me have told me to shut this podcast down. We talk about: – Mortal Kombat for podcasters and who beats who – Khat as a functional stimulant and how normal it's become in corporate rooms – The agencies that supply women at conferences, and what you're actually paying for – Anxiety, stage fright and whether you can perform without a drink – Why artists lean on alcohol and what it eventually costs them – Clan totem animals and a full argument about bees, honey badgers and polar bears – An Inconvenient Truth and whether the panic was ever proportionate – Where NGO money really goes and why fixing the problem ends the job – HIV numbers climbing again and what undetectable actually means – Solving…

Konnichiwa Fam, On this episode Joab Ogato from ​⁠The Couch Connect Podcast comes through, and it turns into one of the most chaotic conversations we've had. He's an assistant professor at McMaster working on his second PhD in regenerative medicine, he sold every stock in his name to buy SpaceX on day one, and he retires in 2035 whether the numbers work or not. We also spent a good half hour arguing about 9/11 and the moon landing, and nobody won. We talk about: – Expensive mediocrity and why everything average here gets sold to you as elite – Getting scammed and why Sajid never pays anything up front – Funeral businesses, the casket camera subscription and other terrible startup ideas – Why muscle for hire is now available to anyone, not just politicians – Causing the problem and funding the solution: how cartels keep systems broken – From fighting teachers in grade five to regenerative medicine at McMaster – Growing tissue for transplant and what that field actually pays – Canada's 50% tax bracket and the…

Konnichiwa! On this episode I sit down with Moses Kemibaro, one of the people who actually built Kenya's internet industry. He got his first computer at 11, was selling internet connections in Mombasa before most people knew what it was, started what became OLX in East Africa, and got hired by a global company purely off the strength of his blog. We also get into the morning he opened his laptop to find his entire team had resigned overnight. We talk about: – Growing up in Mombasa and watching his dad rebuild from nothing after the East African Community collapsed – Why parents create a world for their kids but don't build them for the world – Getting a ZX Spectrum at 11 and being told to build the games instead of buying them – Selling prawns to Tamarind out of a Suzuki and realising he could sell – Living in the British Council when the money ran out – The early ISP days, Africa Online and how rugby got him hired – Three Mice, Dotsavvy and the birth of Kenya's web industry – The Squad Digital raid: losing…

Konnichiwa Fam, On this episode Odanga Madung comes back and brings Darius Okolla, head political economist at Odipo Dev, and we spend most of it on the research nobody else in Kenya is doing. They spent a year inside the goon ecosystem, and what they found is that violence here is now a product with a demand side, a supply side, middlemen and a pricing structure. We also get into why Kenya was once the happiest country on earth, why everything here costs too much for what it is, and what the polls actually say about 2027. We talk about: – Why democracy works better at county level than most Kenyans think – Devolution, who pushed for it, and whether it multiplied corruption or spread access – Kenya as the happiest country in the world in 2003, and civil unrest five years later – Expensive mediocrity: paying showroom prices for an eight-year-old car – Why your taxes buy you nothing while you pay privately for everything – The Rironi-Mau Summit road, SGR incentives and Dangote's refinery – Pending bills, and…

Konnichiwa Fam, On this episode, Eric Mutiso of ​⁠ Every Other Time With Eric and I finally do a proper one-on-one in the studio, and it goes everywhere. We start with the Andrew Tate documentary and what unchecked influence actually costs, get into celebrity sacrifices and selling your soul, then spend a good chunk on the real stuff: why property in Nairobi doesn't add up for guys our age and what it took for Eric to walk away from a safe job. We talk about: – The Andrew Tate documentary and why the UK case was really about influence – What his $50 a month program actually taught, and what it would've meant at 20 – Steroids vs peptides and how normal that stuff has become in Nairobi – The Mwaf situation and the real risk of platforming the wrong guest in Kenya – Blood pacts, celebrity sacrifices and the dead-relatives rabbit hole – Justin Bieber, yielding to the flesh and why the highs stop working – Micromanaging, letting go, and the leadership styles that actually build people – Cape Town plans, IRL…

Konnichiwa Fam, On this episode I sit down with Boniface Mwangi, activist, photojournalist, and 2027 presidential candidate. This is the conversation that finally pulled me into politics. We get into why he believes economic thieves should be hanged publicly, the goon economy running Kenyan politics, his terrorism charges, and what he'd actually do with the presidency. We talk about: – How politics touches everything in Kenya, down to the coffee in your cup – The Ol Kalou by-election and open voter bribery – The Kapenguria Six and a time when Kenyans funded their politicians – How Sonko changed the game and money started buying elections – Why I've never voted and Bonnie's case for why that has to change – The 1982 coup and why Kenyan Indians withdrew from politics – Goons, who pays them, and what they mean for 2027 – His terrorism charges and trumped-up court cases – Hanging economic thieves and a 90-day amnesty to return stolen money – Police reform, digitized records and recruiting for IQ – Nuclear vs…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E114, I sit down with Coffee Pump Regular, Fareed Khimani. Fareed is an Ad director, former radio man, and addiction counselor at Full Circle, who is also a recovering addict with 23 years of active addiction behind him. We start light with his ad work and the creative process, then the conversation goes somewhere we've never taken the show before: his first line of cocaine in an Atlanta bar, smoking crack, ayahuasca showing him what he needed to see, and what he's learned helping addicts in Nairobi today. We talk about: – Fareed's recent ad projects and how directing commercials actually works – The Westgate attack and mall security in Kenya – The team's mushroom trip, ayahuasca and DMT – His first time trying cocaine and 23 years of active addiction – Why cocaine hooks people faster than almost anything else – LSD, molly and the comedowns nobody talks about – Weed culture in Kenya vs abroad – Meth, crack vs cocaine, heroin and the Golden Triangle – Pakistan's opium crisis and addiction…

Konnichiwa Fam, On this episode I sit down with Spencer Fondaumiere, one of only two ASI diploma sommeliers on the entire African continent, and a fellow St. Mary's boy. From getting suspended for streaking and stealing altar wine, to playing rugby for Kenya, working night shifts in a bread factory, and finally landing in Cape Town's wine world, his journey is anything but ordinary. On this episode, we talk about: – The single wine tasting in Stellenbosch that changed his life – Why the red wine with red meat rule is not actually a rule – The difference between red and white wine (98% of grape juice is clear) – Dry vs sweet explained for total beginners – What a decanter actually does and when to use one – Why old wine isn't always better wine – Inside the sommelier diploma exam, blind tastings and roleplay service – How a sommelier builds a restaurant's wine program and why the menu follows the wine – Wine as a store of value and why provenance matters – His top restaurant picks in Cape Town – Budget wine…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E112, I sit down with Matthew Frietze, a 32nd-degree Freemason, actor and oracle based in New Mexico, for one of the most fascinating conversations we have had on the show. I came across Matthew on Instagram, fell down the rabbit hole, and reached out. What followed is a wide-ranging talk about what Freemasonry actually is versus the Illuminati myth people attach to it, how he joined, and what the lodges and degrees really involve. He also opens up about his work as an oracle, the pineal gland, the Matrix, and where he believes the world is heading. It is a conversation that will stretch how you see a few things. We talk about: - How Matthew discovered Freemasonry through his father - What Freemasonry actually is, and why the Illuminati myth stuck - His Mexican and German heritage and a family curandera - His work as an oracle and how he reads energy - Remote viewing and where the intuition comes from - His take on religion, God and organised faith - The pineal gland and reconnecting to a…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E111, I sit down with Honourable Rahim Dawood, Member of Parliament for North Imenti, for my first real conversation about the one thing this podcast has stayed away from, politics. I have taken some heat for not engaging with it, and since politics runs through every conversation in this country, I wanted to learn from someone I could relate to. Rahim is refreshingly open about the parts nobody explains, what a seat actually costs, how nominations are won and stolen, and why he ran as an independent and still won. We also get into Kenya's debt, the Finance Bill protests, and the honest arithmetic behind why the country feels broke. We talk about: - The family's roots from Gujarat to Lamu, Meru and the Memon community - Growing up in Meru and schooling between Kenya and the UK - His first brush with politics and getting arrested as a young man - The laws he fought for, from pregnant women in prison to cancer care - How KDIC bank protection works and why he pushed the limit up - Traffic,…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E110, I sit down with Fredrick Rugo, A Senior Sales Manager at iColo Data Centers, my work brother of six years, and one of the best salesmen I know. This one started with a listener asking us to do an episode on how to actually sell, and Fred is the guy for it. From no shoes at 13 and one of 18 children, to becoming one of the sharpest sales veterans in the country, his story is proof of how far grit and relationships can take you. On the episode we talk about: - Growing up in Nyandarua, one of 18 children across two mothers - Being chased from school over fees nearly every term - Boiled maize for most meals and chapati only at Christmas - First wearing shoes at 13 - Becoming a teacher and coaching a national-champion girls football team - Falling into sales and finding his calling - Cold calling out of the Yellow Pages and surviving rejection - Why people buy the person before they buy the product - Selling internet at Swift Global, Access Kenya and Liquid - The Kris Senanu sales team…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E109, I sit down with Big Homie CC ⁠ and Eric Mutiso of ⁠ Every Other Time With Eric. On this episode, Big Homie shares his journey growing up in Chicago, surviving gang life, being shot, stabbed and poisoned, and why those experiences ultimately pushed him towards faith and a different path in life. We also compare Kenya and the United States, discuss psychedelics, religion, conspiracy theories, and why Nairobi has become one of his favourite places in the world. We talk about: ​Big Homie's first impressions of Kenya and why he feels at home here ​Kenya vs the USA, race, culture and community ​His experiences travelling through Nigeria and East Africa ​Guns, self-defence and mob justice in Kenya ​Surviving shootings, gang life and near-death experiences ​Finding purpose through faith and spirituality ​Psychedelics, DMT, mushrooms and plant medicine ​The science behind psychedelics and their potential therapeutic uses ​Whether drugs should be decriminalized ​Religion, Islam, Christianity…

On E108, I sit down with Snehar Shah, CEO of IX Africa Data Centres in Kenya, a serial operator whose career runs from electrical engineering to chartered accountant to telecom CFO to four startups. He came back to Kenya in 2008 to turn around Telkom Kenya, where he was handed the job of cutting the workforce from 20,000 to 3,000. We get into the real origin of M-Pesa, how Vodafone built it on a UK government grant while everyone else scrambled to copy it, and the regulation fight the data centre industry just won this week. From Eaton Towers to solar to scaling Kenya's biggest edtech, Snehar has had a hand in a lot of what's shaped the market. We talk about: - Growing up in Eldoret and being schooled in the UK - Engineering at Imperial, then qualifying as an accountant at PwC - Turning around Telkom Kenya and cutting 20,000 staff to 3,000 - The real origin of M-Pesa and why rivals couldn't copy it - Building Orange Money with Equity Bank, which became Equitel - Eaton Towers and selling 8,000 masts to…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E107, I sit down with Atul Chaturvedi, marketing strategist, Strathmore and USIU lecturer, and a former telecom CEO who has built businesses across roughly ten different industries. Atul spent his first 41 years in India before landing in Kenya in 2010, and he's run companies in pharmaceuticals, white goods, telecom, fiber, dairy and more. We get into why Nokia really lost its crown, the dual-SIM warning their own team dismissed, and how Blackberry guarding BBM opened the door for WhatsApp to copy the idea and sell for nineteen billion. He breaks down his 80/20 split between marketing and sales, the free-nighttime-minutes play that pulled more new customers than Safaricom in a single month, and why Kenyans stay loyal to a brand even when it costs more. We also get into KDN and Kenya's fiber backbone, the milk powder business most people have never thought about, and the COVID gamble where he paid every supplier out of his own pocket and came out the other side at more than double the…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E106, I sit down with Richard Bell, one of the pioneers of Kenya's internet industry. Richard shares his journey from serving in the Royal Marines to building some of East Africa's earliest internet companies. We discuss the birth of Swift Global, Kenya Data Networks (KDN), Kenya's first commercial data centre, the creation of the Kenya Internet Exchange Point (KIXP), KeNIC, and the battles that helped liberalize Kenya's telecommunications industry. We also dive into the internet bubble, raising capital, building Wananchi (Zuku), cloud adoption, AI, and why Africa's next technology wave will be driven by digital infrastructure. Here's what we get into: - Growing up in Scotland and joining the Royal Marines - Arctic warfare training and skiing with 50 kilos on his back - Leaving the Marines and landing in Kenya by accident - The fax business that became Swift Global - Building Kenya Data Networks and Kenya's first commercial data centre - Setting up KIXP and KeNIC - The government shutting…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E105, Agar Omondi returns to the podcast for one of our most random conversations yet. We start with rugby, fitness, SARMs, peptides, Retatrutide, and the hidden costs of chasing physical performance. From there, we get into poetry, veganism, emotional intelligence, ethical consumption, religion, watches, life in South Korea, and the realities of getting older and figuring things out. We talk about: ​ Rugby culture in Kenya and performance-enhancing substances ​ SARMs, steroids, peptides, and their long-term effects ​ Retatrutide, weight loss, and health optimization ​ The importance of blood work and understanding your body ​ Anger, emotional control, and maturity ​ Poetry, creativity, and self-expression ​ Living in South Korea and adapting to a different culture ​ Veganism, ethical consumption, and why Agar is reconsidering it ​ Halal practices, food ethics, and modern farming ​ Grand Seiko watches, craftsmanship, and engineering ​ Religion, philosophy, and finding meaning in everyday…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E104, I sit down with Nduta Kariuki, a key member of ​⁠ , for a very random but honest conversation about panic attacks, comedy, art, family, and trying to figure life out as a creative in Kenya. We talk about: • Dealing with panic attacks and nerves before public speaking • How Nduta got into stand-up comedy • Kisangani, live shows, and Kenya’s growing podcast scene • Boda boda safety and the correct way to hold the rider • Growing up around Ngong and finding her creative path • Fine art, portraits, galleries, and the realities of being an artist in Kenya • Matatu art, anime designs, and who actually decides what goes on a matatu • Taking care of family and moving back home • Money, happiness, contentment, and why not everyone is chasing the same life • Jaba juice, mursik milk, lactose intolerance, and other terrible business ideas • Comedy, routine, unpaid care work, and balancing different versions of yourself As always, the conversation goes everywhere (apparently I have ADHD). Hope…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E103, I sit down with Patrick Christian, Senior Manager at TeleGeography, to talk about one of the most unusual career journeys we've had on the podcast. Before spending more than two decades covering the global telecommunications industry, Patrick studied archaeology, worked on excavation sites, lived in France and the United States, and spent time in the punk rock scene before eventually finding his way into the world of internet infrastructure. We talk about: • Growing up in Arizona and spending time in France • Studying archaeology and working on excavation sites • Punk rock culture, music, and Patrick's younger years • How he ended up at TeleGeography • The early days of the internet and international telecommunications • The rise of submarine cables and global connectivity • Cloud computing and how it transformed the industry • AI, hyperscalers, GPU infrastructure, and the next wave of technology investment • Why Africa may not see major AI deployments in the near term • The future…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E102, I sit down with Adan Abdi. What started as writing funny stories in university turned into a career in stand-up comedy, taking him from small Nairobi open mics to stages across Africa and Europe We talk about: • Growing up in Nakuru and studying civil engineering • How Adan accidentally found stand-up comedy • Breaking the news to his parents that comedy was becoming a career • Landing major commercial campaigns and building a personal brand • The business side of stand-up comedy and international touring • US visas and performing overseas • Matcha vs coffee • Comedy, cancel culture and offensive jokes • Palestine, Holocaust jokes and where comedians draw the line • ADHD, autism, neurodivergence and mental health • Existential crises, purpose and defining success • Religion, self-care and managing stress • Failed jokes, crowd work and learning from bad performances We also get into Formula 1, TikTok, Substack, cheap dopamine hits, chasing greatness, and whether success actually…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E101, for the very first time, I have both Mwafreeka of Iko Nini Podcast & Eric Mutiso of ⁠Every Other Time With Eric for a conversation covering politics, current affairs, cancel culture, security, technology, AI, and the future of Kenya. We talk about: ​ Mwafreeka being cancelled online and growing a thick skin ​ Gen Z, Gen Alpha and the changing mindset of younger generations ​ Kenya's upcoming elections and whether voting really makes a difference ​ Moi, Kibaki and the impact different presidents have had on Kenya ​ Affordable housing, KMRC mortgages and the housing debate ​ Mwafreeka's robbery experience and the security upgrades that followed ​ Rising tech prices, chip shortages and the gaming industry ​ Bien's cancellation, cancel culture and public opinion in Kenya ​ The Finance Bill 2026, phone taxes, KRA and surveillance concerns ​ Eldoret International Airport and Kenya's logistics ambitions ​ China, manufacturing and global supply chains ​ AI adoption, industrial revolutions…

Konnichiwa Fam, We got to 100 Episodes! Appreciate all your support thus far. We're back on this episode with the Trio. Eric Mutiso of ​⁠Every Other Time With Eric and Fareed Khimani are back for another conversation covering careers, ambition, jealousy, politics, self-improvement, and conspiracy theories. We talk about: • Eric's career transition and why comfort can become dangerous • Building routines, overcoming boredom, and addictive personalities • The Africa Forward Summit and Kenya's role on the global stage • The backlash against Bien performing for President Macron • Colonialism, success, and why some people hate seeing others win • Fareed's Ayahuasca experience and finding purpose • Self-belief, healing, and chasing ambitious goals • The state of podcasting in Kenya and the future of The Trio Podcast • Saj's experience at Strathmore University and leadership training • Safaricom, branding, business strategy, and customer loyalty • Trump, China, global trade, and geopolitics • UFOs, Project Blue…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E099, I sit down with Omar Pederzoli for one of the most global episodes we’ve done so far. From growing up between Italy, Spain, Paraguay, and Florida, to marathon running, crypto investing, acting in Los Angeles, and eventually building a telecommunications company in Kenya. We talk about: - Marathon training, Whoop bands, Garmin watches & recovery - Kenya’s running culture and sports tourism in Iten - Omar’s upbringing between Italy, Spain, Paraguay & the USA - Culture shock moving to Florida as a teenager - Competitive tennis and failing at his dream of going pro - Acting, cinema, Hollywood & classic films - Crypto bull runs, making and losing money overnight - Building businesses and transitioning into telecoms - Internet infrastructure, roaming costs & connectivity in Kenya - Share’s growth in the ISP space and the future of internet in Africa - Gaming culture, GTA, Counter-Strike & movie recommendations We also get into language, identity, ambition, discipline, social media,…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E098, I sit down with Mike Okara and Young Park from Gold Rock International and Masai Coffee for a conversation around coffee, Korean entrepreneurship, Kenyan business culture, and building brands from scratch. We get into the hidden side of Kenya’s coffee industry, colonial-era regulations, coffee cartels, roasting, specialty coffee, and why Kenyan coffee is considered some of the best in the world. We also get into Korean culture, immigration, military history, conspiracy theories, business lessons, and the realities of entrepreneurship in Kenya. And much, much more. Hope you enjoy the episode. Best, Team Coffee Pump Join Our Membership and get access to videos early: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZKGnWZWb-S9wJdz9IGDTw/join Our Sponsors: ANDO - Download the Ando app: https://linktr.ee/ando_foods - Get 10% off your order using the code COFFEEPUMP10 Camera's Africa - Website: https://www.camerasafrica.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camerasafrica_/ Find Young and Mike: -…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E097, I sit down with Shiv Simani for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had around fitness, discipline, addiction, business, and figuring yourself out as a man. Shiv opens up about his journey from partying, smoking, drunk fights, and reckless living, to completely transforming his life through fitness, Muay Thai, CrossFit, and entrepreneurship. On this episode we talk about: - His upbringing, sports background, and gaming culture - Working at Tribe Hotel and leaving employment behind - Quitting smoking and alcohol through Muay Thai and fitness - Bodybuilding, CrossFit, Hyrox, steroids, peptides, and nutrition - His insane 24-hour workout challenge - Building Just Gym It and growing through social media - Men’s mental health, discipline, and personal growth - Kenya’s fitness industry and business opportunities - Weed, spirituality, religion, and conspiracy theories - The Red Pill movement and modern masculinity We also get into movies, books, gaming, Kenyan politics, boda bodas,…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E096, I sit down with Ryan Fagan ​⁠ a US military veteran and real estate investor, for a conversation on war, property investing, financial freedom, and why he eventually decided to move to Kenya. Ryan opens up about his time in Iraq, military culture in the US, gaming, buying his first rental property at 22 years old, and how real estate completely changed his life financially. We talk about: - Joining the US military during the Iraq War - Military training, weapons handling, and life in Iraq - PC gaming, Counter Strike, League of Legends, and tech culture - Buying his first rental property at 22 - Using military benefits and low-interest loans to build wealth - Real estate investing, mortgages, leases, and bank financing - Property laws in the US vs Kenya - Tenant horror stories and dealing with bad renters - Why affordability is collapsing for young people globally - Moving to Kenya and investing in Nairobi real estate We also get into conspiracies, UFOs, affordable housing, financial…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E095, I sit down with Michuki Mwangi, one of the key figures behind the growth of Kenya’s internet ecosystem and connectivity industry. From the early dial-up days to KIXP, KeNIC, AFNOG, and internet policy development across Africa, this was a masterclass on how the internet in Kenya was actually built. We talk about: - The early days of computers, dial-up internet, and fax-over-IP - Working at Swift Global during Kenya’s internet infancy - The Y2K bug and the chaos surrounding it - Building and scaling Kenya’s ISP ecosystem - The creation of KIXP and why local internet exchange mattered - DNS, KeNIC, and bringing .ke domains back to Kenya - Internet policy, regulators, and infrastructure development - Community building within Africa’s tech ecosystem - The future of internet connectivity and untapped African markets We also get into burnout, self-learning, tech culture in the 90s, and the importance of mentorship and knowledge sharing in building industries from scratch. And much, much…

Konnichiwa, bitches ❤️ The 3 Musketeers are back! In this episode, I’m joined by Eric Mutiso of @eotwe777 and the main man himself, Andrew Kibe. We catch up over coffee/alcohol/energy drinks (monster zero ultra - ili kuwa tamu mehn) and dive into a bunch of topics, including: - The idea of starting a dedicated podcast for the three of us - Quitting our day jobs and choosing freedom over comfort - Police brutality and the state of law enforcement in Kenya - Geopolitics, global power games, and what’s really going on in the world ...and a whole lot more. We had a blast recording this one — hope you enjoy the episode! Best, Team Coffee Pump Our Sponsors: MOFIT Supplements: - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mofitsupplementske?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== - Contact info in Kenya: 011 7462155011 7462154 Connect Coffee Roasters - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectcoffeeroasters/?hl=en - Connect Coffee Website: https://connectcoffeeroasters.net - Riverfront, Chiromo…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E094, I sit down with Nimrat Kaur, radio presenter, media personality, and communications professional,for, for a conversation covering media, journalism, fitness culture, beauty trends, politics, and life in Kenya. We talk about: - Her journey into journalism and radio - Working at East FM and the realities of commercial radio - Being bullied early in her media career - ChatGPT content creators and AI-generated scripts - Cortisol, PCOS, Ozempic, steroids, peptides, and fitness culture - Lip fillers, BBLs, veneers, tattoos, and beauty standards We also get into gym culture, dating, podcasts replacing traditional media, Kenyan ISPs, gyms, and way too many side quests. Hope you enjoy the episode. Best, Team Coffee Pump Join Our Membership and get access to videos early: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZKGnWZWb-S9wJdz9IGDTw/join Find Nimrat: - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nimrat.c/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimrat-kaur-867ba6162/ - Facebook:…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E093, I sit down with Kimani Ngugi (known in the social media landscape as Nyumba Ya King), CEO of Kijani Boda. We cover quite a lot in this conversation including book reccomendations, business, travel, weed, existential crises, and trying to figure life out as a young entrepreneur in Kenya. We talk about: - Surviving boarding school hazing - Book reading culture and the books that changed our lives - Studying IT, networking, and working in tech - Realising the 9-5 employment was a trap - Kimani's outer body experience travelling to Lamu and why it completely changed his perspective - China, Alibaba businesses, importing products, and entrepreneurship in Kenya - Weed, existential crises, rehab, and rebuilding discipline - Building Kijani Boda and the realities of start-ups in Kenya We also get into Meru culture, hidden gems in Lamu, travel, relationships, gaming, podcasts, and the struggle of balancing ambition with peace of mind, and much, much more. Hope you enjoy the episode. Best,…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E092, I sit down with Bob Mwiti for a crazy life story. From growing up in Meru without shoes, TV, or school fees, to discovering his biological father as a teenager who changed Bob’s life overnight from rags to riches, and eventually building a life in America. We talk about: * Growing up poor in Meru * School fees struggles and almost missing exams * Meeting his biological father for the first time * UK visa denials and navigating immigration systems * UON, Strathmore, and moving to the US for school * Culture shock and adapting to American life * Family conflict, identity, and escaping difficult environments * The differences between Kenya and America * Building a business and life abroad We also get into Meru culture, miraa being illegal in the US, Kenyan politics, relationships with parents, and the emotional realities of growing up between different worlds, and much, much more. Hope you enjoy the episode. Best, Team Coffee Pump Join Our Membership and get access to videos early:…

Konnichiwa Fam, On this episode, I sit down with Monaja, a Kenyan rapper, historian, and cultural commentator whose work blends music, politics, and African identity. Monaja isn’t your typical artist. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s in History from the University of Nairobi, and experience as a lecturer and editor, he brings a deeper, more analytical lens into music. His sound, which he calls Tema-Imba, blends rap and singing while tackling real issues like inequality, culture, spirituality, and power. We get into: - His journey from studying history to becoming a recording artist - The idea behind Tema-Imba and using music as storytelling - Racism, power dynamics, and economic inequality in Kenya - African spirituality vs colonial influence and religion - Identity, culture, and what it means to be African today - Education systems, real-world skills, and making money vs impact - The role of artists in challenging society and pushing ideas And much, much more. Hope you enjoy the episode. Best, Team Coffee…

Konnichiwa Fam, On E090, we change gears. I sit down with my Khala (My Mom's sister), Asma Ahmed Usman, for a special family episode full of wisdom, stories, laughs, and lessons from a life lived across different continents and generations. We talk about what marriage was like back then, dating in the 90s, how she met her spouse, and the values that helped relationships last. We also get into her upbringing, childhood memories, education journey, university days, and starting her career before eventually moving to New York City and adjusting to a completely different world. The episode also dives into: - Our Family life, parenthood, and raising children in Pakistan Vs New York City - Culture shock moving abroad and adapting to life in America - Education, accounting, CPA vs ACCA, and career growth - Starting her own business later in life - 401K plans, pensions, taxes, and how young people should think about money - Advice for young married couples and the next generation This one is warm, funny, insightful,…

Konnichiwa Fam, on E089, I sit down with Bashir Yusuf of ​⁠ for one of the wildest and most unfiltered conversations we’ve had on the podcast. We talk about: - Experiences getting cheated on and how different people deal with it - Modern relationships, masculinity, and the idea of “ownership” in dating - Conversations around sex, culture, and the things people don’t usually say out loud - Bashir’s comedy journey and his Halaiki stand-up special - Maasai culture and how they Komonga your wives - The boxing scene in Kenya - Bombing in comedy And much, much more. Hope you enjoy the episode. Best, Team Coffee Pump Our Sponsors: ANDO - Download the Ando app: https://linktr.ee/ando_foods - Get 10% off your order using the code COFFEEPUMP10 Camera's Africa - Website: https://www.camerasafrica.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camerasafrica_/ Bashir's First Episode On Coffee Pump: https://youtu.be/D3zlb19e-PU Find Bashir and the Kisiangani Podcast: - Bashir's Comedy Special:…

Konnichiwa Fam, For Cheat Codes #104, Zubair is back on the podcast and we’re diving into practical life cheat codes once again. We break down productivity, fitness, mindset, and daily habits that compound over time. From tracking your steps and fixing your sleep, to using tech to stay consistent and building systems that actually work. We also get into why motivation isn’t reliable and how consistency and structure are what really move the needle. Some of the cheat codes we cover: - Breaking big goals into small, daily actions - Why getting a coach can shortcut years of mistakes - Simple ways to hit 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day - Using apps and wearables to gamify your life - Fixing your sleep and improving recovery - Morning routines and avoiding phone distractions On the mindset side: - The difference between being interesting vs being interested - Why you need to actually go out and live life - Finding your purpose and building a meaningful life Let us know your favourite cheat code in the comments. Best,…

Konichiwa Fam! On this episode, I sit down with the main man Andrew Kibe and Eric Mutiso of ​⁠ for another catch up. We get into: - Pre-planned elections, political psyops, and how power really works behind the scenes - Ruto’s political playbook, and the future of Kenyan politics - Success, jealousy, luck, and what it actually takes to win in life - Poverty vs wealth and the mindset differences that separate people - Masculinity, men as problem solvers, and the role of men in today’s world - Kibe’s experiences from WRC, Maasai Mara, and touring across East Africa - His arrest at the Tanzania border and the realities of moving across the region - 2027 presidential ambitions and what leadership looks like in Africa - Religion, freemasonry, and controversial belief systems This one is raw, controversial, and full of real talk. And much, much more. Hope you enjoy the episode. Best, Team Coffee Pump Our Sponsors: ANDO - Download the Ando app: https://linktr.ee/ando_foods - Get 10% off your order using the code…