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James Mungai

All in a day's work for a Kenyan debt collector

By James Mungai   2026-04-29 15:03:30

People think debt collection is just shouting and threats. But the truth is its strategy, psychology, endurance, humour, negotiation, and a little bit of madness. It’s messy magic.

Borrow smart or not at all

By James Mungai   2026-05-06 00:00:00

Debt is shaping Kenya’s economy but knowing when to borrow or walk away can determine financial survival or collapse.

The rent-a-stress economy blowing into a full-scale economic liquidity crisis

By James Mungai   2026-05-13 08:13:00

Behind the relentless “hustle” lies a brutal reality where both the State and the lending ecosystem have created a trap rather than a springboard for wealth.

The power of patience, psychology and strategy in debt recovery

By James Mungai   2026-05-20 08:30:00

There’s one case I’ll never forget, a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) client who owed a significant amount, but every step felt like a chess match.

The credit controller knows where the bodies are buried: Time CFO started listening

By James Mungai   2026-05-27 06:00:00

Experts warn Kenyan businesses risk cash flow crises if they fail to treat credit control and receivables management as strategic financial intelligence.

State: The master collector but accountability rookie

By James Mungai   2026-06-03 08:00:00

Taxpayers finance the entire machinery of the State, yet they do not enjoy anything close to equivalent information rights.

State: The master tax collector but accountability rookie

By James Mungai   2026-06-03 06:00:00

State has mastered the art of taking revenue quickly, predictably, and almost unavoidably but does not account for it .

How digital data has birthed problematic loans

By James Mungai   2026-06-10 06:30:00

After months of dawn-to-midnight riding, the boda boda rider was within a few instalments of finally owning his motorcycle, but the asset meant to lift his family out of poverty vanished in a flash.

Anatomy of a loan default and what it will cost you

By James Mungai   2026-06-17 06:00:00

The demand letter from a lender is not the real problem. Ignoring it is.

Living from one payday to another: The new involuntary prison

By James Mungai   2026-06-24 08:40:00

Financial pressure is no longer determined solely by income. In many cases, it is determined by the relationship between income and obligations.

Financial freedom begins with one decision: Stop impressing people

By James Mungai   2026-07-01 07:30:00

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to financial freedom in Kenya is not low income, but the growing desire to impress people who neither contribute to our income nor secure our future.

Show me your scoring engine, I'll show you your loan book

By James Mungai   2026-07-08 07:30:00

A scoring engine is more than a software to deploy; it is the gate that either admits risk into the business or keeps it out before it damages cash flow, provisions, capital, and reputation.

The money you're too polite to bring home

By James Mungai   2026-07-15 07:00:00

Be honest with yourself before you lend. If losing the money would break you, it is not a loan — it is a gift you cannot afford.