Jimal 'Roho Safi' on relationships: If you board a car and it breaks down, alight and board another one

 Jimal Roho Safi [Instagram]

How did you acquire the nickname ‘Roho Safi’?

Call it a humble brag, but I acknowledge the name and the people who gave it to me. When I joined the matatu industry as a teenager and ended up making my fortune, I helped a lot of youth join the lucrative sector by paying for their membership and helping them acquire licenses at no cost. Most of those I introduced and helped grow gave me that name and it stuck. But indeed, I am roho safi.

You started making money at an early age...

Yes, I did. I used to ply the South C route, which was very popular with hot rides. I would charge fare to and from and make a neat Sh800 a day, which I used for my maintenance, fashion and savings. Soon, it became a passion that I was hooked on to.

Was that always your dream? 

I guess you could say that. I loved having my own money since I was young. When I was introduced to the system, there was no turning back. I had money, looked good and the route had hot ‘chics’. What more could I ask for?

Were you following your family business?

Not at all. My family background was in aviation, where we already have two pilots. After deliberating, they decided to raise fees for me to join aviation school. I was (given) Sh450,000 to enrol, but since I was already hooked to the transport industry, I decided to make the bold move and bought myself an old matatu. Yaani nilikula school fees ya pilot nikue makanga. I would work in the pimped-out nganya and get paid whilst my junk would make me some extra amount. That changed my life for good, and to date, I do not regret it.

Your success came fast...

I give it all to the dedication I put in and the passion drive. I chose not to pick a career I was not comfortable with, I promised my family I would follow my goal until I achieved it. Steadily, I climbed the ladder to become the national chairman of public service operators. I live like a king because I chased my dream and never gave up.

So you prefer cars to chasing flights?

I am a car fanatic. My love for big toys is so immense that it is a vice I can never overcome. I love big new machines and besides gifting my wife on her 26th birthday, I own several. As for flights, I prefer to catch them instead of catching feelings.

Talking about feelings, your love life has been a cocktail of enviable lifestyles and full-blown drama...  

Drama is part of love life, but relationships to me are like public transport; if you board a car, and it breaks down, alight, ditch it and board another one calmly. I do not negotiate about my happiness and that of my family, the rest can catch up after the broken repairs have been done. 

Who do you consider family?

My bloodline is my family, including my dear mother who treasures my hustle. I have beautiful children from my past unions who I love and adore. They reflect my image and my reason for being.

Does the same love you hold for your children trickle down to the women you once called your own?

With all due respect, I do not follow up on people’s issues after we are done. As I said, soko ni kubwa. Nikujitafutia tu. Once a car breaks down, I board another and do not look back. I respect them as a man, but that is where the buck stops. Anything else that matters is my family, businesses and daily growth. 

Have you ever been heartbroken?

Yes, a lot of times! I am human too, I have feelings, goals and ambitions. Anytime any of these is crushed it breaks my heart because it interferes and affects the course of my plans and aspirations.

So, who hurt you most and how?

I can say that in my past relationships with my exes, I have been crushed because I do not just date, I create a future for us. A future that we have to achieve together - but whenever that does not happen because of material factors, lack of a vision or demands for a highlife, vacations instead of putting in work, it crushes me down.

With two failed prominent unions, who would you call an ideal woman?

An ideal woman for me knows the real struggles in life and gets her bag. I have been in relationships with idlers who do not feel the pinch or even care where money comes from. Their office is on the palms of their hands and nightlife. An ideal woman knows what it means to wake up early, open an office, add value to the community and close late, not only demanding vacations and expensive phones while you bum all day. With an idle woman, you will never know peace.

Have you found the one?

I am now with my best friend, who is also my colleague in the business and takes care of my young family. Nothing beats a woman who understands that I am in the matatu industry, which requires you to work round the clock and at weird hours. I can say I found my missing rib. We are focused on raising the entire family and expanding our business empire. I have a lioness who is helping me hunt success. The family I have is my greatest asset.

You come across as rude and arrogant, do you believe so?

I think people mistake my boldness for arrogance. I am bold, the streets taught me that. I am a makanga, you cannot put me down. If you rattle me, be ready for the consequences.

Do you think you are misjudged? 

Pretty much, but only to people who have never interacted with me. People have confessed on many occasions that the person portrayed on social media is the real opposite in real life. I am jovial and I like to laugh, no matter what stumbling blocks are on my way. Every day is a struggle, but we have to put in work.

What don’t people know about Jimal?

Jimal is a workaholic. Most people think I am just about social media. I manage the national transport business, which employs thousands of youths with a turnover running into millions of shillings. When you see me play, I am just taking some steam off. 

You are surrounded by a circle of political friends like Sakaja, Jaguar and Bahati. Do you have any political ambitions?

No. I want to leave a legacy like that of Chris Kirubi, Aliko Dangote and other entrepreneurs who have had an impact and can impose good skills on leaders. I consider politics slavery from your independence.