His journey to becoming Kenya’s highest paid author had its fair share of challenges. Due to financial constraints, Wallah Bin Wallah was in and out of school.
In between, he was a fishmonger for three years and at one point sold peanuts and vegetables before he could complete his studies.
He did not let his past define him as he went on to become the highest earning author in Kenya.
Wallah Bin Wallah Earnings
Millions of Kenyans have read books authored by the Kiswahili professor. Top of the list is Kiswahili Mufti.
These textbooks were compulsory from class one through to class eight. Wallah clarified that authors don’t earn a salary but are instead paid loyalty.
“Fifty million is just an average. It could be more or less. It could even go up to Sh70 million or come down to Sh30 million per year,” the writer told the Standard in a 2014 interview.
He went to add that writers only get 10 per cent of the sales.
“As a writer, you do not earn a salary, so I am not the highest earning writer as such. Writers get paid royalties, which is only 10 per cent of the sales. I can say that I have been lucky because my books are used in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, so I get a very good sum in royalties”, he was quoted by the Daily Nation.
In the same interview, Wallah revealed that he makes not less than Ksh20 million per year.
“Kiswahili is part of my life. It is not only Kiswahili that pays, whatever you do, try to do your best. Never undermine an idea. There is no bad idea or good idea. What is vital in an idea is how it is implemented,’’ shared the Kiswahili professor.
Wallah Bin Wallah has a father to six all grown up children-Fidia Nusra, Jeff Kauchape, Julisha Mantiki, Jitu Kamaliza, Sadfa Nana Wallah and Zaibu Musa