Kenyan seeks to be Trump’s next millionaire apprentice

Frederick omondi | DAILY NATION
Family and friends in Nairobi watch Ms Liza Mucheru-Wisner’s in the first episode of the tenth season of popular US reality TV show, ‘Apprentice’. There are 16 contestants and the winner will bag Sh21 million and a lucrative contract to work for Mr Donald Trump.

What you need to know:

  • Ms Liza Mucheru-Wisner, 30, is among the 16 contestants on the 10th season of the show

It was a strikingly symbolic moment for a Kenyan family on Friday as they watched their daughter on the ‘Apprentice’, the popular reality-TV show.

Ms Liza Mucheru-Wisner, 30, is among the 16 contestants on the 10th season of the show where contestants compete to join the vast estate of American billionaire Donald Trump.

The winner gets a dream job with The Trump Organisation and a six-figure salary, but only after rigorous and episodic grilling by Mr Trump and his key advisors. The competition attracted more than 10,000 applicants, but Liza made it to the team of 16.

It is at 7 am and the contest has just premiered, running an introduction clip of the 16 participants. The men and women are divided into groups chaperoned by one of their own as project manager. The first task is to refurbish an office.

Family and friends are near, yet far. They are watching live video via a phone transmitting images from a TV in the US live via a cable network-springboard. The show had been shot earlier in New York, but to them everything is too real to have been recorded.

The living room in Nairobi is pregnant with anticipation as the host turns on the TV for the appointed hour.

“I have seen her, she is painting,” says Njeri Mucheru Oyatta, Liza’s elder sister, clasping her cheeks. Also in the room are brothers Joe Mucheru and Muniu Mucheru and sister-in-law Aida Mucheru.

Irene Wamaitha, Paul Kiranga, Jane Okulo and Chris Kiagiri, the family friends, are there too to watch their friend become the first Kenyan on the coveted contest.

It was fun and dramatic, Liza would tell the Nairobi viewers via a Gmail video immediately after the first show.

At the time, Liza was in Corpus Christi, a small town in Texas ,US, and she had just returned home after a party.

Jokes and laughter punctuate the room as the show rolls on.

“She has a winning personality. She is a winner. To get that recognition makes her stand out,” says Joe, Liza’s eldest brother who is also the Google Lead for sub-Saharan Africa.

Watching the “Apprentice”, every minute mattered and eventually someone was going to be fired. So, the siblings and friends crossed their fingers.

When the time to walk into the boardroom came, the fifth born in a family of six was right there, not too far from the mercurial Mr Donald Trump.

In a side interview with the Saturday Nation via Gmail video, Liza said of Mr Trump: “He is the most genuine person I have ever met. He has inspired me and I have a lot of respect for him.”

The tension and drama couldn’t get better in the boardroom, as the participants defended their decisions and actions with the eyes trained on the ultimate prize: great job with a hefty salary.

When Mr Trump asked Liza why she thought her team failed, she was confident and firm.

“Liza must have thought, ‘I must say something in that boardroom’,” said Njeri, amid laughter.

Njeri describes her younger sister as beautiful, confident, determined, organised and intelligent. Joe says Liza is not afraid to take risks.

“It is beyond her dream. She never thought she would be in a situation like this. She is waiting for explosion,” says Njeri in jest.

After a gruelling session with Mr Trump in the boardroom, Muniu exclaimed with his hands up: “That is safe for me.” Liza had survived the first ‘inquisition’ and Nicole, the project manager, was fired.

At that particular moment it did not matter to the group that their sister and friend was at best 14 ‘roastings’ away from winning one of the most lucrative jobs in the world. The fact that she had passed the first hurdle was reason enough to celebrate Liza’s big leap into corporate America.

So, could this be a breakthrough for Kenya? What if Liza wins, will it be the icing on the cake after President Barack Obama stellar electoral victory?

To Liza, this is no big deal. She says the drama is really amazing and has a fan page for her Kenya admirers. Asked if she thinks she will win, she laughed.

“Thinking is not part of the equation. I know. I will be doing interview with you from Trump Tower,” said Liza. “You haven’t seen anything yet. If you miss to watch ‘Apprentice’, everybody would be asking where have you been living?”