Back in August 2020, a friend and I sold a small side hustle we’d built together. We split the profits—about Ksh 2 million each at the time. I decided to invest mine in shares of Facebook (now Meta).

Fast-forward to July 2025: I sold those shares for just over Ksh 4.2 million. The transaction was done before midday, and within two hours, the money was already in my M-Pesa-linked account.

My friend? He used his share to buy a plot of land in Kitengela. Today, he says it’s worth at least Ksh 5 million. But here’s the catch—he’s been trying to sell it since January. It’s now August, and still, not a single serious buyer.

And that land hasn’t been “free.” He’s spent more money building a perimeter wall, paying casuals to clear overgrown grass every few weeks, and making trips to the lands office to sort out paperwork.

All that time, effort, and money—yet the land value remains on paper. Meanwhile, my Meta shares turned into real, usable cash in seconds. No caretakers. No land agents. No waiting.

Now, this isn’t just about whether stocks are better than land. It’s a lesson on the difference between real wealth and trapped value.

Here’s the truth:

• If you can’t liquidate an asset quickly, it’s not truly yours

• If you can’t leverage it in an emergency, it might just be a fancy burden

• If selling it takes months of stress and hustling, it’s not freedom—it’s a cage

My friend’s plot? A beautifully fenced prison for his money. My “boring” stocks? Keys to financial freedom.

Of course, not everyone has access to stock markets, and many will try to convince you that land is the only smart investment. But in today’s world—especially for young, digital-savvy Kenyans—there are more flexible and liquid investment options than ever before.

Always ask yourself: Is my money working for me—or stuck in a field somewhere, waiting for a miracle buyer?