Ken Musili: From selling sodas on a bicycle to running two Nairobi hotels

Sitting at the elevated lounge at the Pullman Hotel in Upper Hill, Nairobi, Ken Musili, the hotel's general manager, gazes at the lobby's open ceiling, a popular design choice that leaves all of the building's structural elements visible.

The red water pipes, ventilation ducts and other mechanical systems are a testament to the raw aesthetics of the hotel.

Behind the lobby, African artefacts adorn the wall, creating an inviting allure to guests, while more artistic and ornamental items on other walls combine to give the reception area a true African aura.

In Upper Hill, where ornate office buildings compete for prestige with some of Kenya's top hotels, Musili's story of perseverance stands out.

He embodies the sheer grit and resilience that define some of the most inspiring stories in corporate Kenya. Hailing from Kitui, Musili was never born into luxury but in modest circumstances and hardly fathomed that one day he would command hundreds of workers at any hotel, let alone one that is part of an international chain, Accor.

Today, he oversees not only Pullman but the adjoining Mercure Hotel, both in Nairobi Upper Hill.

His story starts 25 years ago, away from the carpeted and highly polished hotel floors, on the dusty streets of Nakuru with a bicycle and crates of sodas.

"As a young man, I pedalled through neighbourhoods selling sodas on a cycle. I learnt the value of hard work and customer service in the rawest form," says Musili.

The work had its drawbacks.

In Kenya, where motorists give little attention to cyclists, Musili was risking life and limb moving sodas from the depot to customers in far-flung regions.

At one time, a truck driver almost knocked him over, and he was left with some broken soda bottles.

"You had to pay for the broken bottles from your pocket. That meant you worked at a loss that day. It was heartbreaking," he recalls.

But the soda hustle was just the beginning.

Around 2003, Musili laboured as a construction worker, yes, jamaa wa mjengo, the handyman who works alongside the builder carrying cement, mixing concrete and delivering it a few floors up.

"I used to wake up before daybreak, walk from Mlango Kubwa near Eastleigh to the construction site in Nairobi's Industrial Area. The returns were meagre while the work was back-breaking. That is how Nairobi welcomes you," he says.

Slightly built, Musili struggled with the demanding work and recalls several near misses while lifting heavy trusses, where one misstep could have been fatal. "It made me stop and think whether that was the lifestyle I wanted," he says.

He persevered until a newspaper advert for a hospitality course changed his life.

He spotted it during a lunch break, seated on a wooden bench among construction workers shouting out orders for githeri, sukuma and chapati as they queued for food.

The advert in the newspaper called on people to apply for a hospitality course at Utalii College.

"I almost dismissed it but then thought, 'there was nothing to lose by applying.' I put in the application, but I did not have the Sh500 application fee."

The fee seemed insurmountable then.

Every coin he got from the construction hustle would go into food and other personal needs, leaving little or nothing for other pursuits.

His mother, though, believed in her son's vision and paid the application fee. That single act of faith from a mother became the cornerstone of Musili's transformation, one that would change the trajectory of his life.

A large door to formal training in hospitality swung open, equipping him with skills that have seen him rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the industry, both in Kenya and internationally.

After graduating from Utalii in 2005, Musili joined Mombasa's Voyager Beach Resort, where he worked as a porter in the front office.

"It was tough, considering the weight of the bags and the layout of the sprawling hotel," he recalls.

He later held leadership roles with globally recognised hospitality brands, building expertise in hotel management.

Armed with a Bachelor of Commerce in Operations Management and an MBA in International Business Management from the University of Nairobi, Musili now leads the teams at Pullman and Mercure Hotels in Nairobi as both a manager and mentor.

"A leader inspires by example, is grounded, approachable, and deeply committed to nurturing talent. I look at my journey from a construction worker as a testament to resilience, vision, and the power of opportunity. You should never despise those whose work looks low because tomorrow they might be occupying the position you currently hold," he says.

As we wind up our interview, Musili looks at the open ceiling and watches as excited guests stream in; then he reminisces about the bicycle rides in Nakuru with rattling soda bottles and the Sh500 sacrifice from his mother that changed his life.

"Never forget the transformative power of a single opportunity," he says.