KenyaOnAShoeString: Real Advice for Real Kenyans

  “The longer you stay where you don’t belong, the harder it is to find where you do.”  — James Clear We often hear people say “I’m not sure this is for me anymore,” but they rarely say it out loud. It’s a quiet knowing. It creeps in during a group trip that costs too much, a conversation where you don’t feel heard, or a day where joy feels more like performance. But letting go is hard—especially when the thing you’re questioning once brought you meaning, pride, or community. This article is a meditation on the courage to let go. Not because we must — but because something within us whispers that it may be time. Through real-world examples, we reflect on how to notice when something once beautiful now weighs us down, and how to transition with both dignity and grace. Here are five deeply familiar experiences, told through the lens of real, Kenyan life. Each is a reflection on the moment you realize: something has shifted. The lifestyle may still look good—but it no longer fi...

  “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” — Peter Drucker It always sounds noble at first. "If I don’t act now, I’ll regret it forever." We’ve all heard it—often from family, mentors, and even the media. But what happens when acting now turns into regret later ? In Kenya today, panic-fueled decision-making is a quiet epidemic. It's in the rushed land investments in remote areas, the glamorous trips we can’t afford, the PhDs that end in bitterness, and marriages that collapse under the weight of poor timing. This isn’t just about bad luck. It’s about a cultural mindset that prizes urgency over wisdom. We need to talk about it. 1. The Panic to Own Land—Anywhere Buying land is a culturally glorified milestone. Land is emotional in Kenya. It's not just property; it's legacy. So when someone offers you a plot “10 minutes from the highway” with flexible installments, your heart leaps. But how many Kenyans have bought ...

"Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world." — Arthur Schopenhauer Every few months, a new listicle goes viral: "30 things I wish I knew at 20," "What every 40-year-old should do before it’s too late," or "Advice from 80-year-olds on how to live a meaningful life." These pieces are often earnest, even well-meaning. But they carry a hidden danger: the illusion that there is one way to live well, if only we follow the right script, take the right risks, or apply the distilled wisdom of others to our own lives. The problem is, life doesn’t unfold in copy-paste format. Each of us is living a different season. And not all advice is timeless. In fact, some of it can derail you entirely. Life Comes in Seasons. Your Choices Should Too. There is no universal roadmap. Each decade of life asks different questions of us — and demands different answers. Your 20s: Exploration, Curiosity, Failure This is often the seas...

When starting a business, most entrepreneurs paint a clear picture in their minds of who their ideal customer is. But what if that image is wrong? In Kenya, a mismatch between product and market is one of the most common, yet least understood, reasons why small businesses struggle to gain traction. We often assume our audience is “the middle class” or “urban youth” without understanding who those people really are, what they can afford, or what they value. This article explores the blind spots many Kenyan entrepreneurs face when identifying their target market — and how to fix them. The Myth of the Middle Class Many Kenyan entrepreneurs believe their product or service will appeal to the middle class. But what does 'middle class ' even mean in Kenya? Most use the term loosely — assuming it means anyone who lives in Nairobi, owns a car, or shops in supermarkets. In reality, the economic lines are blurrier. Recent data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows tha...

“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes.” — Eleanor Roosevelt Ask someone on the street in Nairobi, Nakuru, or Kakamega: “What is your personal life philosophy?” You’ll likely get silence, or a shrug, or a vague answer like “just trying to survive.” And yet, the truth is—we’re all already living by some philosophy. It may not be written or thought through, but your repeated choices are the loudest expression of your beliefs. So the question is not: Do you have a life philosophy? The real question is: Is it one you chose? Or one that circumstance chose for you?  Why Many Kenyans Don’t Live by a Clear Philosophy 1. The Tyranny of Survival In a country where millions live below the poverty line, there’s often no time or mental space to think about deeper things. When rent is due, school fees are late, and fuel prices are rising, philosophy can feel like a luxury. But here's the risk: If you don’t shape your beliefs, you...

“But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” — 1 Corinthians 7:9 At first glance, Paul’s advice may sound like a warning against lust. But underneath, he’s prescribing something deeper and more personal: know yourself. You’re the only one who knows what makes you stumble or thrive. You’re the only one who knows whether you're burning—or whether you have the strength to wait. Paul doesn't shame the person who chooses marriage, nor glorify the one who remains single. He simply says: make the better choice based on who you are. This idea can guide every area of life—not just romance. If you want to live with integrity, peace, justice, or faithfulness, then you must intentionally build a life that supports those values. Here’s how that might look in everyday Kenyan life. 1. Value: INTEGRITY The Choice: Doing Right vs. Making Compromises Joseph , a young procurement officer, lands a job with a decent sala...

It starts with a click. A friend forwards a link to a reading group, a chama, a Zoom workshop, a parenting circle. You join. You read a few messages. You mute the group. You never contribute. Never attend a session. Never show up. And you're not alone. Across Kenya—and perhaps globally—we are seeing a strange but widespread cultural habit: joining groups we never participate in . From WhatsApp reading clubs to civic forums to alumni communities, there’s a sea of people who are present but passive. It seems harmless… but it’s not. This article is a mirror to that quiet behavior—and an invitation to see what it’s really costing us. 1. The Silent Collapse of Collective Action Kenya has long depended on community-driven efforts: harambees, savings groups, cooperative societies, youth initiatives. But these only work when members participate. When 50 join but only 5 engage, things fall apart. Group admins burn out. Ideas die. Communities disband. And slowly, we stop be...