Eight friends painting their way to financial freedom

After completing college, it can be challenging to stay connected with former classmates as everyone focuses on building their own paths in life. 

However, for eight young men from Gilgil, this wasn't the case. They chose to work together.

Lawrence Muthomi, speaking to Mtaa Wangu, explains that they were all students studying painting at Comboni Technical College, where they became friends.

"We were all enrolled in the same course, and one of our friends, Kenneth Wanyoike, had already completed his studies. He suggested that we join forces to tackle the available work together through a group called Lion's Decorators," he says.

The group later decided that they shouldn’t just focus on house painting, which can sometimes be inconsistent, but also explore creative ways to express their skills.

To diversify, they began doing interior decor art, offering it as an additional service to their clients for a fee.

"Since we used to do house painting, we noticed a lack of creativity in interior decor among most people," Muthomi notes.

They began collecting waste bottles and papers, transforming them into unique decorative pieces such as flower vases and souvenirs.

"After work, we gather at the workshop to create our art. We start by cleaning the bottles, which are often dirty and sometimes used for alcoholic drinks before we begin our designs," Muthomi explains.

The group buys paint for as little as Sh. 50, which is enough to work on three bottles. They then sell these decorated bottles for prices ranging from Sh. 300 to Sh. 600, depending on the size and design.

Muthomi reveals that the income from their artwork is shared among the group members based on their contribution to the pieces produced.

What started as a friendship has helped them discover opportunities together and support one another, especially when facing financial challenges.

"Since we are still new in the industry, we sometimes incur losses, and it helps that we can pool our resources to cover any shortfalls," Muthomi notes.

Although they work as a team, Muthomi points out that they are also free to pursue individual projects as they please.