“Steam, Struggle, and Success: The rise of Afande Denno in Mukuru Kwa Njenga.”
The life of Dennis Myao, popularly known as Afande Denno, is a narrative of a man who moved from the rigid structure of the Kenya Police Service to the bustling, unpredictable streets of Nairobi as an entrepreneur. Born in Dandora Phase 1, near the Green Primary School and what is now Mukuru Hospital, his early life was shaped by the challenges of the city before his parents moved the family to the village. He grew up in the Manyi area of Kitui County, attending various schools including Kamanyi, Nzeve High School, and Mutoto Boys. His path was never linear; he eventually dropped out of Kenya Polytechnic during his third year because the financial pressure on his family became too great, leading him to take up jobs as a brand promoter for companies like Airtel, Safaricom, and Huawei.
In 2017, his life took a professional turn when he joined the police force. Stationed in places like Akala in Siaya, Kimbari, and eventually Villa in Nairobi, Denno spent seven years in uniform. He found joy in the service, particularly in patrolling and interacting with the community. However, his tenure was marked by increasing friction with his superiors. This tension peaked during the recent social media era and public protests. While the government expected him to maintain a specific line of duty, Denno found himself caught in the middle. During the “Gen Z” protests, he stepped into the fray not to support chaos, but to advocate for peace, helping to extinguish fires in areas like Pipeline and protecting businesses from being looted. His actions were misinterpreted by his bosses as siding with the protesters, leading to his transfer to the remote post of Dadach in Garissa.
The pressure mounted as he faced numerous disciplinary committees, primarily focused on his active social media presence and his unconventional way of interacting with the public. In August, his salary was suspended. Facing depression and a lack of support from within the service, Denno realized the environment no longer accommodated his desire to serve the community in his own way. He decided to leave the badge behind. Returning to Nairobi, he faced immediate financial hardship, at one point surviving on a “Fuliza” limit of only ten shillings.
Seeking a way forward, he turned to the community he had once protected. He consulted a local woman named Mama Kisavi, who ran a small business. She encouraged him to start selling boiled maize, teaching him how to light the fire, stack the maize correctly in the pot to trap the steam, and select the softest cobs from the market. With a pot bought by well-wishers and a stove provided by his supportive wife, he launched his business in the Imara Daima and Mukuru Kwa Njenga areas.
Today, Dennoโs routine begins at 3:00 AM. He wakes up, prepares his stock, and heads to the market to hand-pick the best maize coming in from Tanzania and local farms. By 6:00 AM, the first batch is steaming. His business has grown quickly; within less than two weeks, he was already employing three other young people from the neighborhood, paying them daily wages. He earns significantly more on the streets than he did as a constable, sometimes making upwards of 1,800 shillings on a good day.
His transition has made him a local hero. He lives rent-free in a room provided by a thankful resident and eats for free in the homes of people who remember his kindness when he was a policeman. Looking toward the future, Denno has set his sights on the 2027 elections, intending to run for MCA in Imara Daima. He argues that he doesn’t need millions for a campaign because his “wealth” is the people of the ground. His story is no longer about the authority of a badge, but about the influence of a man who chose to boil maize with the same passion he once used to patrol the streets.
