Nairobi — When Mumias East MP Peter Salasya posted a simple call for business ideas on X (formerly Twitter), offering to co-invest Sh1 million in any venture with a short payback period (excluding Airbnb and betting), he likely didn’t anticipate triggering a flood of pitches–ranging from serious to outright absurd.

@pksalasya:

“Am looking for someone who have business idea that it’s payback period is short apart from airbnb and betting that with this one million we can invest in. We shall share 70% me and him or her 30%. Tuende kazi i will be reading the comment by comment.”

That one tweet turned his feed into a fast-paced, crowdsourced Shark Tank, Kenyan-style–complete with business plans, satire, and hustle energy.

The Real Hustle: Business Proposals That Just Might Work

Joy.Ride Carhire @JCarhire: “Invest in a campervan for road trips and staycations… With 1M, you build or buy one and start earning right away.”

Salasya: “Good idea.”

Njenga Mwoha @mwoha_ke: “Niko na machines za 1M… wewe ulete 1M tuanze kuunda Frames na Milango.”

Salasya: “Good idea we can do something.”

Shadrack Biwot @sediltd_: “Start a digital agency. High demand, low overhead. Payback in under a year.”

Salasya: “Mmmmmmh send me this on DM.”

Byrum @ByrumWBarasa: “We can set up a medical centre for 500k. Returns 20k per day.”

Salasya: “Good idea.”

When Satire Becomes Social Commentary

Among the flurry of tweets, one stood out for its biting wit:

Serious Joker @HESeriousJoker:

“We can open a private police station to arrest government officials and agencies who think they’re immune & above the constitution…”

The suggestion–clearly satirical–struck a nerve with many Kenyans. It wasn’t just funny; it was loaded with commentary on corruption, impunity, and public frustration with the political elite.

Behind the Laughter: A Generation in Economic Crisis

Salasya’s tweet may have generated laughs, but the depth of engagement it received reflects a more serious national crisis: the struggle for economic survival among Kenyan youth.

President William Ruto came to power promising to create jobs for millions of unemployed youth. But for many Gen Z Kenyans, that promise remains unmet. The disillusionment boiled over in the June 25, 2024 protests against the Finance Bill, which saw taxes rise amid a cost-of-living crisis. Dozens were killed in the crackdown.

A year later, on June 25, 2025, youth again took to the streets to commemorate those lost–and over 60 more were killed.

While President Ruto often points to his Affordable Housing Programme and bilateral job deals abroad as proof of job creation, many youth dismiss these efforts as either unsustainable or inaccessible. The jobs abroad–mainly in healthcare and tech–are too few to address the scale of unemployment.

According to World Bank projections, Kenya’s overall unemployment rate stood at 5.7% in 2024, while KNBS reported 4.9% in Q4 2022. However, youth unemployment paints a grimmer picture. The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) estimates that up to 67% of Kenyans aged 15-34 are unemployed.

This is why Salasya’s thread became a microcosm of a national mood: raw creativity meeting real desperation.

Comic Relief, Hustler Spirit, and Flirtation

Asango @ann_asango: “Kuja tufungue shule for EYFS babe “

Salasya: “Very nice idea if you can run on my behalf.”

Karomo @tonykaromo: “Legal but impossible to tax. 600k capital. DM if serious.”

Salasya laughed off the idea.

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