As the cost of living continues to skyrocket ,Kenyans from different walks of life are feeling the pressure, including university students.
The story of Godfrey Muteishi, a master’s degree student, who was forced to drop out and found himself working in the construction sector, commonly known as ‘mjengo’, tells it all.
In an interview with NTV on Tuesday, June 21, the Moi University student, who is a father of four, noted that he ran into financial headwinds and was forced to take over menial jobs just to make ends meet.
He also worked as a waiter at a hotel in Eldoret and as an Early Childhood Development and Education teacher on part-time basis.
A file image of the Moi University
Facebook “I am working here as a part-time teacher so that I can make ends meet. I was still working at the restaurant so I had to divide my workers. I made good friends with one of my deskmates because I could not be in school for the whole day. I had to take care of my family,” he noted.
In Eldoret, he works as an ECDE teacher at Faith Junior Academy where he reports to work at 8 a.m. and leaves at 11 a.m. for his second shift at the skydiver restaurant.
His colleagues praised him for espousing a good work ethic which then expanded the hotel’s client base.
“He has added our client base with how he is interacting with the customers,” stated a chef at the restaurant in praise of Muteishi.
Another colleague noted that Muteishi is driven and interacts with the hotel customers with the utmost respect.
“Few days that I have been here and looking at how he does his work, he is somebody who actually knows what is supposed to be done as far as working as a waiter of the hotel and service to customers is concerned.
“He is not supposed to be here but because of the life he has found himself in, we decided why can’t we give him a chance because all we need are his services,” he explained.
Muteishi struggles come at a time unemployment rate in Kenya is rising by the minute with the latest Ministry of Education data showing that Kenyan universities churn out 50,000 graduates every year. Of the number, only 15,000 secure employment
A report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicated that unemployment in Kenya was at its highest in 2020 with the figure doubling in a span of 3 months.
1,841,918 Kenyans were unemployed in the months of April, May and June 2020, up from 961,666 reported in the first quarter.
The highest proportion of the unemployed was recorded in the age groups 20-24 and 25-29, each registering over 20 per cent.
Jobseekers wait to hand in their documents during recruitment at County Hall in Nairobi, 2019.
NMG
