Just like Eric Omondi, comedian Jalang’o was paid with food when he started out in comedy.
Read: Eric Omondi: “When I Started Comedy We Were Being Paid With Food”
While Eric didn’t exactly disclose if the food was at least fire, Jalas says he was once paid with fries.
“I was once paid with a packet of chips, and most of the times I was paid with handshakes,” recalled Jalas.
The popular radio personality added that it took him five years to start earning money, with his first pay being a measly Sh300.
“After five years, that’s when I started receiving money. My first pay was Sh300 back in 2005. I had performed at Matungulu Girls High Schoool in Ukambani. I was playing a comical role in a set book play,” said Jalas.
Fisherman Who Dreamt of Becoming a Pilot
But before comedy and all the fame and popularity, Jalang’o was a fisherman who had dreams of becoming a pilot.
“At 23 years old, I was a fisherman and fishmonger in Homa Bay town. I used to go to the lake in the middle of the night, cast the net into the lake and in the morning, I would fish to the women at the shore,” he said.
The comedian also did some odd jobs to make ends meet while also auditioning at the Kenya National Theatre.
“I always wanted to be a pilot but I knew that I could not possibly afford the tuition no matter how hard I worked. So I focused on my other passion: acting. In the meantime, I washed cars and did some construction work to put food on the table. My uncle would graciously give me bus fare to Kenya National Theatre for any auditions I needed to attend,” said Jalas.
After auditioning for years, Jalang’o found his silver lining after one of the main actors failed to show up after a night out.
“I had waited three years for this opportunity and when I took the stage, I told God that this was my chance and I needed his help. I couldn’t fail,” the MC narrated during an Engage talk in Kisumu.
