We Turned Our Friends Group into a Ksh7 Million Investment 

In December 2012, one of our closest friends died unexpectedly.

There were nine of us who had grown up together in the same village in Butere. We had attended the same primary school, played football on the same dusty fields and shared many of life's early experiences.

By then, however, life had taken us in different directions.

Most of us were between 27 and 29 years old. Some were working in Nairobi, others in Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu. A few had started businesses. We still considered ourselves close friends, but the reality was that we rarely met.

It took a funeral to bring us together again.

During the burial preparations, we spent several days catching up. We talked about work, relationships, family and the challenges of adulthood.

Also Read: I Was Pressured to Contribute in My Friend’s Ruracio Group as He Led Luxury Life

One thing became clear. The only time we seemed to meet was when something bad had happened.

Someone had died. Someone was sick. Someone needed help.

As we sat together after the burial, one of the friends raised a question.

Why should we only meet because of tragedy? The idea that followed sounded random at the time.

Instead of waiting for another funeral, why not form a group that would keep us connected?

There were eight of us remaining after our friend's death. We agreed that each person would contribute Ksh8,000 every month beginning January 2013 to an account opened by out treasurer. 

To be honest, none of us had a grand investment plan.

We simply wanted something that would force us to stay in touch.

The monthly contributions became part of our routine. Every month, someone would remind the group via text. The money accumulated surprisingly quickly.

Because most of us had stable jobs, the contributions were manageable. We treated them almost like a SACCO deduction.

By December 2015, we had accumulated approximately Ksh1.53 million.

That is when we started asking ourselves a different question.

What should we do with the money? After several discussions, we agreed to invest in land.

Most of us were living and working in Nairobi, so we wanted a location that was accessible and easy to monitor. Kiserian appeared to offer exactly that.

The area was growing, land prices were still relatively affordable, and we believed development would eventually push values higher.

Also Read: I Bought Land After Pressure from My Friends, It Ended in Premium Tears

We identified a 100-by-100 plot selling for approximately Ksh1.5 million and purchased it.

At that point, we felt like serious investors. The problem was that we could not agree on what came next.

Some members wanted us to venture into cattle rearing. Others believed rental houses would provide steady income. A few felt we should simply hold the land and wait for appreciation.

The debates went on for months. Eventually, life got busy again.

People got married. Children came. Careers changed. Some members relocated. Others became occupied with personal projects.

The land remained untouched. Every year, we would discuss it briefly before postponing any major decision.

Looking back, we probably left money on the table because we never developed the property. Still, none of us seriously considered selling. The land simply sat there. Then something interesting happened.

Also Read: I Started With Saving Ksh20, Today I Own Land for My Off-Grid Home Dream 

During the December 2025 holidays, nearly everyone managed to return home at the same time. It was the first time in years that the group had gathered in one place.

As we caught up, our group chairman shared some news. Several people had recently expressed interest in purchasing the land. Curious, we began checking market prices in the area.

The numbers shocked us. The same plot we had bought for Ksh1.5 million was now being valued at around Ksh7 million.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

We spent years arguing about what to do with the land, yet the investment had quietly grown while we were busy living our lives.

Suddenly, the monthly contributions we started after a friend's funeral looked very different.

None of us had imagined that a simple decision made during a period of grief would eventually create a multimillion-shilling asset.

Today, the group still exists.

We have discussed selling the land several times, but for now we have agreed to hold on to it. Our target is to wait until it reaches around Ksh10 million before making a final decision.