Hhahahahaha........Thome ya huku inaitwa Tabata!!

malipo ya uzeeni

What's a good salary in Kenya? This question is loaded. It depends on the kind of lifestyle you prefer. I see that a lot of Kenyan men lack imagination and their idea of fun is either "drinking", "sensual seduction" ama "church". Actually this gets to the extreme in Ocha where the men can easily be divided into two camps "the church goers" and the "alcoholics". To avoid this trap which is a road that leads to nowhere it's important for a man to cultivate and enjoy other interests and do it passionately. Here's a few things you could take up that will rescue you from the "alcoholics" or "church" trap: which evidently shows a lack of education and sophistication as your income goes up.
1. Cooking: For a man to take a passion to cooking, you have to really take it to the extreme. You should be able to make things like "swiss chard and lemon ricotta pasta"
2. Travel: Not just to Ocha but to deep in Taveta Hills, Shompole, middle of nowhere kind of stuff. Go diving, riding camels, go to Kariandusi etc
3. Archaelogy: Easiest thing, create a comprehensive family tree and interview all the old people in your family and write a book to share with your family members. Do good profiles of your ancestors and such. If you go deep enough, start your own self taught archaelogy stuff in some random place in Kenya.
4. Chess: Build your game to championship level - become a Master
5. Sewing & Fashion: Go deep with this and challenge the designers out there.
6. Mentoring
7. Painting
8. Pick up a sport as you get older: whether it's golf, running, biking etc you need to break a sweat at least a few times a week.
9. Collecting - whether its stamps, old music, pictures from the 1950s and below do something.
10. Start an alternative night club - which doesn't necessary involve just drinking and watching sports on tv. Maybe a club where you can hang out play some badminton with your boss or something like that.

One of the reasons Nairobi gets dull is because people can't seem to imagine alternative paths.

If a man is going to get out of the trap he has to go very deep into some kind of passion which consumes the time and hopefully where he has some talent. The obvious pleasures such as drinking and church going do not provide the best returns. Be a contrarian and make the country more interesting. Always gathering for drinks with friends is a lack of imagination.

Mikocheni bwana! Tabata ni Kinoo!

I like the CSR

But methinks landing fees should be an item by itself

Ngai fafa...kuna watu wanalipa rent 100K! Mirrioni imwe mwaka?

Wacha kutisha watu. Hii inalingana na mahali uliko na kule unaelekea. Wacha kupimia watu uji na kale ka-kikombe ka queens tea

Apparently there's a lot of Nairobians living like this. All those guys living in Kilimani and Kileleshwa apartments - they would typically have this kind of budget if they have two kids.

ndio Kiuna anunue nyumba mpya? Never ever, wacha mi nijenge yangu kwanza.

Long time lurker, but first time poster. This is the best Kenyan forum have ever seen.

I have been in ‘majuu’ for around ten years, so I guess that qualifies me to add some 2 cents for perspective and balance. First, grew up in the village, went to Kenyan public uni for commerce degree, lived in Kibera/Mukuru, got a kajob, saved till had a million and left on a student visa. My first salary was 35k, and used to save about 20k. Used to teach part time. I was so broke when I left Kenya – money spent on fees/student visa but luckily had some one to host me.

I was clear on why I left – I didn’t see much opportunity (I think there are many young Kenyans who have a B. Comm and CPA and can’t get a job.), no capital, and just had this big dream that I will be successful. I hated poverty – and having gone through hardship growing up.

Ten years down the line, it is the best decision I have ever taken, completed studies, now citizen, went back to Kenya to get a wife. My wife and I live what a typical western middle class family lives, we have a house (on mortgage), earnings within highest 5% - 10% of the population, work 8 – 5 jobs and now started to think about where to retire.

Has it been easy? Hell no. Did the odd jobs – some times working 20 hours. Cried a few times – you do not adjust from an office job to selling cigarettes in a convenience store overnight or working as a cleaner. It has been a process of rediscovering, retraining (had to study again for an MBA, accounting qualification and CFA), and started from the bottom (Drakes song, started from the bottom has been the story of my life). It has been years of building networks – and having been a hustler all my life, this has helped. I work in middle management of a global corporation (not junior, and not too senior).

I have never joined this bandwagon that I am going back to Kenya (or for that matter, you must come to majuu to be successful). If you are lazy in Kenya, you are not going to just become an amazing hard worker by living in a different country. If you live an average life abroad, just doing the rat race, you are not going to become an amazing business man in Kenya. That perspective is important. I have seen people sell houses and go to Kenya – only to come back again. I have also seen people execute good plans and go back successful – but very few.

So people need to be careful, I think Kenya is a very competitive place to do business (if it was that easy – so many Kenyans would do it). If you are comfortable in Kenya, stay there. If you have a clear plan on what you want to achieve abroad – then leave, but understand it will take years. I have hosted and mentored a few Kenyans, ironically, many from parts of Nairobi we would never have crossed paths if I was in Kenya (have only ever been to Muthaiga to visit parents of a student I hosted, many years after have been here).