Comedian Josephat Mwachasia, popularly known as Mchungaji, has opened up about the harsh realities of his life before fame.

Mchungaji revealed how a lack of education cost him opportunities and shaped his journey to becoming a household name.

In an interview with TV47, the former Churchill Show comedian gave an emotional account of his troubled upbringing, explaining how poverty and illiteracy derailed his early life.

“My father never went to school, and we, his children, also didn’t go to school. My elder brother dropped out in Class Three. I never attended school at all," Mchungaji shared.

He narrated how he was born into a polygamous family, and over time, his family was marked by tragedy and hardship.

His biological mother passed away at Mbagathi Hospital after a prolonged illness, and rumours swirled around her death, suggesting HIV/AIDS-related complications.

After her passing, his father remarried, but Mchungaji would soon become an orphan when his stepmother also died.

“It was very painful. Sisi ni watoto wa Mungu, mimi ni mtoto yatima,” he added.

Despite his challenges, Mchungaji still encountered life-changing opportunities, only to lose them because of his lack of education.

He shared that one of the biggest heartbreaks came when he was offered a chance to go to Germany, but could not proceed due to not having academic certificates.

“They asked for my education certificates, and I had none. I ended up making a deal with someone that she would enrol in a language course and in exchange to pay for driving school, because that is all I could pursue without certificates," he shared.

His determination eventually led him to comedy. Together with his partner Mtumishi, Mchungaji decided to chase the dream of joining the Churchill Show, though even that came with its share of struggles.

They first saw the show on TV and were inspired to audition.

He shared that when they first went to audition, the duo walked all the way to Carnivore from Kawangware on a Sunday, mistakenly thinking it was the shooting day.

"We saw Churchill Show on TV and people encouraged us to try. We went to Carnivore on a Sunday, thinking that it was the day they shot the show. We did not have fare to go there, and we also did not know the shortcuts to Carnivore or where it was, so we went asking people and mind you, we were carrying our bags with costumes inside. When we got there, we were disappointed to learn that they did not shoot it that day, but we did not give up, so we had to go back and return again on foot on Tuesday," he shared.

When they returned, they finally got a chance to present their act, but it did not come without criticism.

“Some people said our musical comedy would not last two weeks. But we were asked if we could sustain 30 shows, and we said yes,” Mchungaji said.

Their perseverance paid off, and they were first featured on Churchill Raw and later received KSh 5,000 for their debut performance, a moment that marked the beginning of their professional breakthrough.

Watch the interview below:

In a past revelation, Mtumishi alleged that his mother interfered with his marriage because she disapproved of his wife.

He claimed she may have resorted to witchcraft, and that his father later told him she had predicted the union would not last.

Mtumishi said that despite marrying his partner, the relationship ended just four months later when she left him.

Source: TUKO.co.ke