The Juja telescope business has taken off in a big way, with one clever entrepreneur in Kenya charging locals KSh 100 to gaze at far-off planets through his portable setup. Peter Mwangi, a 35-year-old and local schoolteacher from the bustling town just outside Nairobi, came up with the idea after picking up a second-hand telescope online last year.
He sets up shop near busy spots like markets or parks as night falls, and people line up for their turn to spot Jupiter’s moons or Saturn’s rings.
Mwangi shared his story during a chat at his spot last weekend. He started small, letting friends and neighbours try it for free to get the word out. Pretty soon, word spread, and strangers showed up asking for a look. “I saw how excited everyone got,” he said with a grin.
“Kids point at the sky, and their eyes light up. Adults forget their worries for a minute. That’s when I thought, why not make this pay?” Now he pulls in up to KSh 2,000 on a good day, especially weekends when families come out. That’s enough to cover his family’s basics and save a bit for better gear.
His operation stays simple. He hauls the telescope – a solid reflector model he bought for KSh 15,000 – on his motorbike to prime locations. A small stool for viewers, a quick explanation on what to expect, and unlimited minutes per person. No fancy apps or tours, just the raw thrill of seeing something beyond Earth.
“You can’t get this on your phone,” Mwangi points out. “It’s real, right there in the eyepiece.” He picks clear nights, dodging city lights by heading to quieter edges of Juja. Sometimes he throws in facts about the stars to keep things fun.
People love it for different reasons. Parents bring kids to spark interest in science. Young couples turn it into a cheap date night under the stars. Even older folks stop by, remembering childhood dreams of space.
One regular, a teacher named Sarah Wanjiku, stops in often. “My students hear about planets in books, but this makes it stick,” she told me while waiting her turn. Lines form quickly – 20 people on slow evenings, double that when skies cooperate.
Mwangi’s not the only one noticing the draw. Similar setups pop up in other towns now, but he claims the original spot. He learnt the ropes from YouTube videos and local astronomy groups online.
A businessperson in Juja is charging Kenyans KSh 100 to use a telescope to view other planets. pic.twitter.com/Wv3hVOIt6T
— The Kenyan Vigilante (@KenyanSays) January 30, 2026
No formal training, just trial and error. “The first few times, I pointed at the wrong stuff,” he laughs. “Now I know Mars from a plane light.” He dreams of expanding – maybe a van with multiple scopes or school visits for group rates.
This kind of hustle fits right into Kenya’s street economy. Folks find ways to turn hobbies into cash amid tough times. Mwangi, a local schoolteacher, decided to teach the Nairobians in real life and make ends meet. “Better than sitting around,” he says. Risks come too – bad weather kills business, and theft worries keep him alert. But the payoffs show in his steady crowd.
Social media helps big time. Posts from happy customers tag his handle, showing blurry phone pics of the moon through the lens. One video of a kid yelling “I see Saturn!” went viral locally, pulling more visitors. Mwangi keeps prices low to stay accessible. “KSh 100 isn’t much, but it adds up,” he notes. On peak days, that’s 20 customers easy.
Experts say ideas like this tap into growing interest in space. With NASA missions and private rockets making news, people want a piece of the wonder.
Local clubs host stargazing events, but Mwangi brings it to the streets. “Not everyone can travel to dark sites,” says an astronomy buff from Nairobi. “This guy makes it easy.”
Challenges linger. Light pollution in Juja cuts views sometimes, and rainy seasons slow things. Mwangi saves for a better model to zoom further. He talks about partnering with schools for education bits, turning fun into learning.
