I Joined This Ksh10 Savings Challenge in Jan, Now I’m Building My House - Police Officer

‍This is the story of Corporal Desmond Lomidat, a police officer based in Turkana West. He shared his experience with the Money254 team, explaining how joining the Money254 Savings Challenge in January helped him save Ksh300,000 and begin building a home for his family. This is his story, as narrated to the Money254 team.

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For years, I had one major financial dream: building a house for my family. However, despite earning a salary, I struggled to save consistently.

I would make plans to put money aside, but something would always come up. Sometimes it was an emergency, while other times I simply lacked the motivation to keep saving.

I had no clear system to hold myself accountable, and my dream of owning a decent family home kept getting pushed further away.

That changed in January 2026 when I came across a savings challenge by Money254.co.ke while scrolling through Facebook.

I had served as a police officer for six years, and although I had always wanted to build a house, I had never found a savings routine that worked for me.

The challenge caught my attention because it started with just Ksh10. I decided to give it a try.

Also Read: 2026 Money254 Savings Challenge: The 10 Bob Challenge

How a Ksh10 Challenge Changed My Savings Habits

It was January 5 when I came across the challenge. I visited the Money254 Facebook profile, found a link to a WhatsApp group and joined.

The idea was simple: start with Ksh10 and gradually increase the amount saved by Ksh10 daily.

What attracted me was that I did not need to have a lot of money to participate. I could start small and build the habit over time.

Being in the WhatsApp group also made a difference. Seeing other people share their progress motivated me to keep going. Whenever I felt like skipping a contribution, I would see someone else talking about their savings and feel encouraged to continue.

Eventually, I started saving more than the required amounts.

Whenever I received extra money, I would add it to my savings. If I got an additional Ksh3,000 or Ksh4,000, I would put it aside instead of spending it.

The group helped me remain accountable, and before long, I had gone beyond the Ksh77,000 amount I initially expected to raise at the end of the year.

I have managed to accumulate Ksh300,000.

For someone who previously struggled to save consistently, seeing that amount grow was a major achievement.

Also Read: How to Choose a Savings Challenge That Does Not Strain Your Budget

How I Grew My Savings to Ksh300,000

While participating in the challenge, I learnt about Money Market Funds (MMFs) through another member of the group.

Someone mentioned Etica MMF, and I became interested in understanding how I could earn a return on the money I was saving.

I eventually moved my savings into the fund.

For me, this became an important part of the journey because I was no longer simply putting money aside. My savings were also earning returns.

The MMF helped grow the money I had accumulated, bringing me closer to the amount I needed to begin building. However, the biggest motivation remained the house I wanted to construct.

The House I am Building 

I live in Turkana West, where building a conventional stone house can be challenging because suitable building stones are not readily available.

Many homes in the area are constructed using iron sheets, which are among the most common and practical building materials available.

Initially, I had planned to build a three-bedroom house with a verandah.

But one day, when I travelled to Lodwar, I came across a two-bedroom house next to the road. I liked its design, so I took a photograph.

I started thinking about whether I could build something similar.

I had recently started my own family. I have a wife and three children, and I wanted us to have a decent home rather than continue postponing the dream.

I eventually decided to scale down my original plan and build a two-bedroom house first.

I approached someone in town to draw the floor plans, and once I had a clearer idea of what I wanted, I started working towards the project.

So far, I have spent approximately Ksh245,000 on the construction.

I am currently welding the windows and doors as I continue with the remaining work.

My intention is to keep building gradually as I accumulate more money. Next year, one of my targets is to save enough to put up a gate.

I may not have completed the house yet, but seeing the structure take shape has given me a sense of progress I had never experienced before.

Also Read: I Started With a 10 Bob Savings Challenge, I Just Bought My First Plot

What I Want to Do Differently Going Forward

One thing I have realised during this journey is that saving money is not just about how much you earn. It is also about having a system that protects your savings from everyday spending and emergencies.

In the past, I did not separate my money. Whenever an emergency arose, I would sometimes withdraw from the same savings kitty I was using to build my house.

That made it difficult to maintain consistent progress.

From January, I want to change this by opening separate accounts for my savings and emergency expenses.

My goal is to have money set aside for emergencies without interfering with the funds I am accumulating for the house.

I also want to create a system where accessing my construction savings is not easy, even when unexpected expenses arise.

The Ksh10 savings challenge has taught me that starting small can eventually produce meaningful results, especially when you have a clear goal and people who encourage you along the way.