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Growing up, Davis Luvaha aka Rojo Mo always wanted to be on TV. His sister, Mary Grita Kamal, shares how the award-winning musician and actor pushed on to achieve his dream.

Davis Luvaha is a popular name and figure in both the music and acting industry. As a rapper he has gained so much fame from his award-winning hit song Mr Dubai.

As an actor, he is a popular face with his current role as Shoks in the Swahili telenovela, Selina. 

Davis, popularly known as Rojo Mo joined the industry back in 2014 when he was picked for a small role in a local TV show Saida, which was his first acting job thanks to Reuben Odanga, a director who believed in him and also gave him the second opportunity in Nira, a TV show, which aired between 2015 and 2016.

In the following year, he played Moddy in the TV series – Moyo, before his role in Selina. 

His music style is what would be describe as storytelling rap, a combination of rap and acting on instruments as evidently displayed on the song Mr Dubai, a humorous track that has won awards such as Nzumari award and Coast Award in 2010 and 2011.

As his older sister Mary Grita Kamal shares that this fame did not come to them as a surprise; they saw these talents since Rojo Mo was young and they have grown with him all the way to the top. 

Adventurous childhood

Rojo Mo is the fifth born of Benson Luvaha, a former government driver and Alice Luvaha a civil servant.

Their parents got transferred from Vihiga county, in western Kenya to Mombasa in the mid 80’s, which resulted to all of them being born in the coastal town.  

“Growing up, we moved around a lot, being raised from one hood to another in Mombasa, which include Majengo, Kisauni, Mshomoroni, Changamwe, VoK and finally settling at Tononoka, which is our home to date.

We got to experience the coastal culture and blended in well such that to date, people even mistake us as being coastal, with all the ventures of being raised here as our home,” shares Mary. 

 He attended primary education at Makupa Primary School, Mombasa where he sat his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education in 2002 and joined Serani Secondary School where he completed in 2006.

With a passion for cooking and also with hopes and plans to join his sister in her food business, he pursued a catering course at the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic, formerly Mombasa Technical Training Institute in 2008. 

Budding artiste

“With our strict parents who encouraged us to study and get good grades Rojo Mo grew up both a respectful and cheerful boy.

He loved reading, adventure and was super active. He used to recite TV commercials and could sing along to popular music.

He used to say he wants to be on TV and act with Mzee Ojwang on Vitimbi back then. He would watch TV and imitate people and cram popular music from a young age.

Other times, he would play driver like our dad. So, he really showed all these signs of being in the entertainment industry and he followed his passion through,” shares the elder sister.  

Their parents were Rojo Mo’s biggest support system. Their mum would give him transport facilitation to studio and the whole family campaigned for him when he got nominated in the musical Awards such as Nzumari award, Coast Music Awards and Pwani Awards when his song Mr Dubai topped the Coastal chats, which he won back in 2010 and 2011.

Also, they would encourage him to attend more acting auditions and motivated him a lot when he was not selected for some acting roles. It has not always been an easy ride.

Side hustle

“Well, I remember there were times he complained that his music was not getting airplay or when he went for auditions and failed to get picked… which really discouraged him, but we always kept on telling him that his time will come.

He, therefore kept on pushing on. He was passionate and strong, and these are definitely his strongest features,” says Mary.

 Rojo Mo’s family is proud of his achievements. “It’s a good feeling and I’m proud, especially when we walk around with him or attend family or social gathering that he’s invited.

It comes with privileges such as skipping a few people in long queue when we go to hospital, getting discounts here and there on products when shopping, which is also a huge privilege and a blessing,” she intimates. 

Aside from being a passionate artiste, Rojo Mo is also an entrepreneur. He owns a sound system for hire in Mombasa while running his food joint in Nairobi called Swahili Manchez, which specialises in Swahili cuisine.

He officially set up the business when Covid-19 hit as he needed a side hustle to make ends meet and also to explore his cooking passion. 

“I studied catering, and since we had a food business in Mombasa, I decided to expand this one a branch of the family business.

I plan to leave it under a management soon and open another branch because business is good and people like Swahili delicacies,” shared Rojo Mo on the business venture. 

The biggest lesson Mary has learnt from her little brother is just how fulfilling it can be to work on one’s talent.

She says this has made her support her children and wish to nurture their talents as nobody really knows just how far this could take them.