They say that “work hard so that you can make it in life”…The Greek say: Ciakorire Wacū mūgūnda (Fortune found Wacu at the shamba)…
But does this ever work in this country?
I have lived long enough to know that this term doesn’t work here. It used to work during the colonial era, maybe, but after independence, the noble term was thrown out of the window.
For you to make it here, you will need the following before you even think about working hard:
Connections
Favouritism (Nepotism, sidechicks etc)
Bribery and/or corruption
A bit of luck
You look at this guy working in a muhindi factory in indaa. He is at work very early, works very hard operating that machine and works, and works and works…until he is unable to work no more due to old age. Muhindi’s son who is now his boss promptly retires the guy, gives him a small penshen which depletes after a few months. They guy goes to gishagi, old and broke…to die due to hard work related complications.
The Muhindi who employed him also ‘retires’ and relocates to Canada as he leaves the business to his sons, just like it was left to him by his father…
Remember that hot chick in Campus? She never seemed to attend the lectures, was hanging out with loaded guys and mubabas and having the time of her life? Eventually, she graduated with 2nd class honours, upper division.
OTOH this dude who worked extremely hard through high school joined Campus, struggled to get HELB loan, worked extra extra hard to attain the same qualifications. …
The guy goes to tarmac in indaa while the hot chick immediately gets a ‘trainee’ or ‘internship’ with the KRA.
This pastrolist herder up North works extremely hard to rear sizable herd of cattle. Then in one swoop, cattle rustlers take the whole herd…and shoots him dead.
Look at the outgoing president and show me how he worked hard to be who or where he is…
Come on! Don’t tell me that the incoming hustler president-elect worked very hard to be where he is…We all know his story. The above 4 factors played well form him. Same case apples to Kashakwa. Other politicians who worked really hard throughout the years, never got the ultimate prize. Well, you have an example.
I can go on and on but I know you get the point.
Anyway to the younger villagers out there who are 'working very hard" to make it, well let me burst that bubble…sorry,
You need to rethink your strategy.
You are the typical person who still equates ‘working hard’ to mean that you have to use your muscles and drip sweat everyday. People work hard in different ways and getting yourself into the right social connections requires some form of hard work and discipline too. There will never be a situation in this world were everyone is equal but you just have to be smart and diligent with how you make your moves in this life even as you work for that Muhindi.
The few years, I have lived in this world, I can attest that working hard pays, on condition is linked with luck ,fortune and street smartness.
Moreover, most hard working men are too rigid and conservative, avoids taking huge risks and rarely think outside the box. Majority believe in going back to school to earn more qualifications then get better jobs or become competitive.
Am of the opinion that salary alone can never make you rich, One needs to supplement with side hustle, and inevitably cut shortcuts.
A review of entry net salary for a graduate in the public sector shows is around 40K. To become a millionaire you will need to work for over 2 years without spending even a single shilling, which is impossible.
Peasant motto: NEVER COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. hapa ndio watu huanguka. wee fanya exam paper yako, hakuna life inafanana. And never feel sorry for yourself, that is what I admire about wild things. A dog with only three legs carries on doing dat doggie sh.it like haijui kitu. KILL THAT EGO! Usijiweke state of mind that some things are beneath you to do! What is ‘beneath’ you anyway? Just a model you just as easily put up in your mind that you can just as easily take down. ukipata hii self realization, maybe your mind will be better able to “see” the opportunities around you and know how and where to ‘work smart, not just hard’ The 80/20 rule always applies: take reasonable, calculated risks that the education you obtained can help you work out. Keep learning (sio shule), keep improving. It’s one or more of these thought out gambles that gets you that lift off. Life is cruel that way
You are one of those fellows who purely believes baseless propaganda and runs with it. Read your history and do it carefully. Go and do your research and find out what the exact position William held within the organization then tell me if you think he would have gotten to where he is right now if it were not for his proper social connections abilities. Ukiskia Ruto akijiita mtu wa mkono wa Jirongo usidhani he was joking. The nigga was a simple technical assistant and was way down kabisa within the hierarchy level within YK92. I’d equate him to someone I’d send to get me coffee while I’m in my office. Someone who was just a little grade above a receptionist. A simple nobody.
Wewe niko sure ata nikikuuliza anything about YK92 all you’d know is that Jirongo and Ruto were part of the whole team and anything other than that would be you trying to build a lot of castles in the air to try and justify your point. Without doing proper research then one should keep quiet in matters you are not conversant with.
Was it exclusive to Ruto? How come Jirongo has not become president yet he had the biggest share of looted funds back then?
Ja Ramogi used to survive on donations from SK macharia, yet his son, just from prison, bought kisumu molasses plant for 600 million cash, which MP today has access to 600 million?
Cheer up buda, was watching a movie jana old repeat Death race , prisoners waki shukishwa from the plane , the jamaa says , There are No virgins in here because life has fucked you already. hahaha :D:D:D,Mdau buy your own lube coz when they swear in the High priest kesho , Welcome to Gangster paradise . Ni shafting proper.
In Kenya we have two economies: the normal economy and the connected economy
In the normal economy intelligence and hard work pay off, but you can only reach about 2m gross monthly income in this economy. To go beyond that point, now you have to step into the connected economy of deals with friends in high places. Lakini pia unaweza pata hiyo 2m monthly na utosheke
Hard work never pays anywhere in this world. Even in the US and EU C students rule because of social capital. What I can say is evaluate where you belong in the food chain, then start creating generational wealth.
For example, if you do not have any form of inheritance work hard to give your kids the best form of education and exposure and save for them, it is highly unlikely for one to move from abject poverty to serious wealth. I had a friend who didn’t come from a well off family but all the siblings joined UON school of medicine. Just like that you move your offspring from poverty to middle class. Then the siblings and their offspring have a chance to be wealthy since they have the “safety net” to indulge in high risk investment such as startup.
I think success is a multivariate equation ie it cant be attributed to one thing. In my view, hard work will make you successful but you also have to be intelligent.
For example, that guy you provided as an example working for the mhindi was a hard worker, but never smart. If he was smart, he would have saved and launched his own tiny enterprise. After all, he can always go back to mhindi if he didn’t leave on bad terms.
I have seen mere taxi drivers become more successful than lecturers and bankers. Why? They knew how to manage their money better. They lived below their means, and used the difference to invest. Meanwhile, white collar workers were busy setting standards about who drives the coolest moti , who is fuakin Mercy from HR, who lives in the leafiest burbs, and whose kids study at school X instead of DEB.
I have seen in real time some blue collar workers outperform respectable white collar workers by a country mile simply because they worked both hard and smart.
Hard work pays…only if you combine it with smarts.
Salary is the only source of income for 99% of employees in Kenya , after you have paid your expenses unabaki zero. Rinse and repeat until retirement. Same thing happens to majority of entrepreneurs, after paying all the expenses you find yourself uko nil.
Kenyans need to learn from somalis, hawa watu help each other a lot. 80% of somali businesses in Nairobi ni either the guy alipewa pesa na relatives kuanzisha that business or the business is owned by group of people who pool their resources together to start the business.