The biggest gamble
Millo's decision to leave diplomacy was not an overnight move into show business.
He left Israel's Foreign Ministry in 2008 after serving in Nairobi and Los Angeles and eventually settled permanently in Kenya. His diplomatic career had included work as Israel's deputy head of mission in Kenya and roles involving media and public affairs.
The music came later.
In 2015, Millo told the Standard that he had put music aside around the time his son was born and concentrated on his career. But the desire to perform never disappeared.
His turning point came when he walked into a studio with a song he had written, initially just to see what would happen.
That song became Unajua, his breakthrough Kenyan hit.
“We realised we had a hit the second we finished recording.”
From diplomatic meetings to recording studios
The move required Millo to enter an industry where he was largely an outsider.
His decision to sing in Kiswahili became an important part of his connection with Kenyan audiences. Millo has previously explained that his years working in Kenya helped him learn the language and understand the way it was spoken locally.
Unajua, featuring Wendy Kimani, helped establish him as a recognisable name in Kenyan music.
He followed it with songs including Sema Milele, while collaborations and television and radio appearances expanded his profile.
What diplomacy taught him
Millo's earlier career also influenced how he approached public life.
His work involved communication, relationship-building and representing a country in different settings. He has also worked as a journalist and government spokesman.
Those experiences became useful when he moved into entertainment, where communicating with audiences and working with different personalities became part of his daily life.
His connection with Kenya eventually became permanent. In 2021, after six years of waiting for his application to be processed, Millo acquired Kenyan citizenship. He had first arrived in Kenya in 1996.
What comes next?
Millo's latest chapter has included a return to music alongside his agricultural interests.
In August 2026, he spoke about his return to music and his new album Shambani, including his collaboration with Sanaipei Tande. He also reflected on longevity and how his approach to music has changed over the years.
At 55, his story is therefore still moving.
The former diplomat who once stepped away from music to pursue a conventional career eventually took the opposite gamble — and found a new audience in Kenya.
For Millo, the next chapter appears to bring together the different worlds he has spent decades navigating: music, business, agriculture and his life in Kenya.
