Leo Tunaenda Kisumu

Qn. How did you start the brand Leo Tunaenda?

I started Leo Tunaenda brand last year August. I was new to Kisumu, just a year old and only experienced places by the lake. As I started to become a mwenyeji I wondered which other places can I enjoy that I dont have to travel far that are still within Kisumu but it was a struggle to find them. So I came up with the idea of visiting places that people do not know about really well and beautiful hidden gems in Kisumu that are not explored online. So those niche places that only few people know of, what if you come from, Nairobi or abroad, anywhere and you are looking for places to explore here in Kisumu, Leo Tunaenda is where you can get an answer to all these questions

Qn. Which place has impressed you most?

The one place that made my jaw drop was the Airbnb located in Mamboleo, it is called Ose-Cottages. It is an Airbnb engulfed in nature which just made me feel relaxed and in my zen. That place makes you feel yes I am within town I have access to everything but I am also off grid and remote. The place is just beautiful covered with trees all rounded, you wake up to nature and it is just located within Kisumu.

Read also: My Side of the Street

Qn. How do you find the hidden gems?

Some of these places have a social media presence but you’ll find that they are not active they have a couple of pages, they have a few photos and reviews, that is how I find most of them. And it is a balance sometimes I am just about my day, visiting a restaurant and I like it, I take the videos, talk to the mangers and share them online. Right now a couple of the owners have approached me first. I am looking forward to making it a place where businesses can collaborate and make their brands visible.

Qn. How is the online reception?

The reception has been really good a lot of people have been messaging me saying they love what I am doing and also they love that I am making people aware of what is happening in Kisumu. If you notice with the Brand Leo Tunaenda, we are not sharing solely spaces, and restaurants and Airbnb, we also share events, and experiences that are happening in Kisumu. So a lot of people really love that I am keeping people up to date on what is happening and what they can do and enjoy while living in or visiting Kisumu.

Qn. What is wrong with most of our social media posts as SMEs

When going online I felt that people did no share the stories of the spaces the way they need to be told. I would search online maybe a restaurant or somewhere I want to visit. Sometimes it is very poorly made, and not being shot from a perspective of selling the place. It was being shot from the perspective of showing someone the good time I have, and I wanted something that shows what the space is what it has to offer.