There are two ways to make money. One is by actually making it. Two, well, is by not spending any. Arthur Mugo prefers the former, which is why he wants to retire in the next 10 years, which is also why, as the founder of Precise Architects, they have just moved to a hovel—if that’s what you can call an imposing Nairobi’s Karen building.
This is his blueprint for success: family life, social time, sweat and strain. While his feet are firmly planted in the present, his head is resting in the clouds of the future, where he will be making music: his daughter on keys, the other on drums, and he strumming that guitar. That has always been his true romance, composing notes that add a background tune to life’s drudgery.
I have been a practising architect for the last 15 years. I have one wife and two daughters. I'm also involved in a bit of leadership in the society; I happen to be the board chair of one of the schools where I come from.
And you’re also a country musician...
You know, music is a gift, it’s a talent. Yes. I used to sing, and I still do.
What led you to music?
Music is a passion. It is something I enjoyed. From my early days, primary school, I used to perform mashairi (poems) at the competitive level, and we’d go up to the provincial level.
Do you still sing?
I don’t perform nowadays, but singing, yes, I do. You know, music is not necessarily about performing, but it's also a form of relaxation.
What's a song that reminds you of home?
There's a song that was done by Randy Travis. It’s called ‘When Mama Prayed.’ I don’t know whether you know that song. I grew up very close to my mum in the village. And the song says, 'When mama prayed, good things happened.' So I remember my life in the village with my mum. There's also a song that has been done by a local musician.
Did being a musician help you get a wife?
No, I don't think so. I think when you're choosing a wife, it's purely about that. It's a bigger decision than saying that I want to marry this person because they can sing or something like that.
Have any of your children picked up your musical talents?
I have two daughters. One is 14, the other is 12. They are both instrumentalists; the firstborn is actually very good at piano. The second-born is a great drummist, one of the best at her school.
How does that make you feel as a father?
Of course, very proud. I didn't force them. I think the second-born saw that her sister was very good at piano and decided to chart her own path.
Are you planning to release a number with them?
Those are actually some of the thoughts that I have. Yes.
There's a tendency for parents to want to live vicariously through their children. Did you grow up the same way?
We grew up in the village. In fact, you'd be surprised, some of us even studied computers after high school. So we didn't know much about careers.
I wouldn't say I picked it from my parents. Actually, the reason why I went into the field I am in is because when I was in primary school, there was a guy who was at the University of Nairobi, and he was doing interior design. I looked at him and I admired him. I said, you know, one day I would like to do such a course. That is what inspired me to go into architecture. My parents would have wanted me to become a doctor.
What's a small joy about fatherhood that not many people get to experience?
Knowing that you're in charge and accountable for somebody’s life, and the decisions that they make. That gives me a lot of joy. It also makes me very assertive. But that is very satisfying.
What did you have to let go of to become a better father?
Control. The children of nowadays are growing up in a space that allows them to speak their minds. So, as a parent in today’s generation, you find yourself in a situation where you really want to be open to what these children are telling you. Imagine me correcting my parents, haha!
Arthur Mugo, the founder of Precise Architects.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
What's your self-care routine?
I like your questions. There's something we call me-time, whereby you're not interacting with anyone, doing what you love. I'm very careful about what I eat.
Second, I have a consistent active routine. I make sure I walk at least 37 kilometres every week. I do brisk walking. Exercise sharpens your memory, but it also gives me time to ventilate. I have a team of friends we walk with, religiously, three times every week. I listen to music a lot because it speaks deeply. It's a language that transcends every culture.
How has your life been different since you started walking?
I used to run a lot, but when I started advancing in age, I realised running is not sustainable. Walking has kept me healthy; I can’t remember the last time I was sick.
How does brisk walking work?
Normal walking is sustained at a pace of between 9.30 and maybe 10 minutes a kilometre. So for us, we average at 7 minutes 40 seconds and 8 minutes per kilometre. That raises your heart rate. Cardiovascular exercise. It's very good for the heart. You know? The other thing I've noticed is that when you are active like that, it also helps to raise good cholesterol.
What's the boring part about brisk walking?
When I am alone.
How do you get out of your mind?
Listening to music. In fact, if I just start listening to music I'm interested in, I forget about everything else.
What is the soundtrack of your life now?
There's a song I just downloaded today in the morning from iTunes. 'Don’t Pray & Worry' by J. Moss.
What do the voices in your head say?
Concerning what? haha! They say, dream about anything you want. It's absolutely what they are telling me.
You seem to be very good at many things. What are you not good at?
I'm not a very patient person. Especially with other people. If somebody is not doing something in the way that I expect, that makes me go bananas. I know patience is a virtue.
What is your best characteristic?
I think I am a very good leader. I have seen it over the years. And I also think I am pretty good at strategy.
If I had to read only one chapter of your life, what would you recommend?
Arthur as a father.
What tips do you have about surviving fatherhood?
Go into it with an open mind. Don't delegate your role as a parent to guide your children. Listen but be firm.
What will you teach your father about fatherhood?
Haha! I would tell him discipline has to be tempered. I think sometimes it was overdone. The sentence was more than the crime.
How did you rein it in your own, because more often than not, we become our parents?
My strong Christian principles helped me. You learn parents do what they do because they love you, and that also helps you to understand and forgive, and you move on with life.
What used to make you happy that doesn't make you happy anymore?
You are asking very interesting questions. Initially, when I started running this practice, whenever we would win a consultancy or a commission, I would be over the moon. But I think after you get three, four or five wins, you kind of get used to it. I think it's because with time, you realise it's an opportunity that also comes with huge responsibility.
What does your exit ramp look like?
I want to go back to music during my sunset years. I am very keen on succession planning. I want to exit the space of architectural consultancy in the next 10 years.
What does a perfect weekend look like for you?
A lazy Saturday doing nothing and going for a walk on Sunday very early in the morning, then later church with my family.
In the afternoon, I have to go for lunch with my family. This must happen every Sunday. My wife likes pork, but my daughters and I love chapati.
What is a question I should have asked but haven’t?
What I have learned about relationships, especially marriage.
What have you learned?
Take the other person’s opinion. I have a strong personality and I am quite strong-willed to the point of being overbearing, but being in marriage has helped me to temper down. To listen more and to know that every human being, whatever they say, adds value to you.
