KenyaOnAShoeString: Real Advice for Real Kenyans

In Westlands, Nairobi, a billboard from Afro Fit gym reads: "The heart attack at 50 began at 20. The Alzheimer's at 70 started at 40. The loss of independence at 80 began at 30. The aging you want tomorrow begins with the choices you make today." The message is simple but unsettling: the crisis we fear tomorrow is often built on the habits we ignore today. 1. Health is Not an Emergency Button In Kenya, many of us treat health like a fire extinguisher – something we reach for only when there is smoke. We push through exhaustion, joke about back pain, normalize insomnia, and ignore creeping weight gain. We only act when the problem becomes visible: a collapsed uncle, a diabetic aunt, a friend who "just stopped remembering things." But true health is never about quick fixes. It is about patterns. 2. The Myth of Expensive Wellness Health does not start in the gym. It starts with the walk to the shop. The water you choose over soda. The ugali and greens you eat inste...

They said time is money, So we sold our days To desks, deadlines, and duty. Now the clock ticks softer. The pace slows down. And we wonder— Can we afford to buy back What we gave so freely? Not to earn. Not to win. But just to live again. 1. The Paradox of Retirement in Kenya Retirement, in theory, is supposed to be a season of rest. A time to exhale. To spend mornings slowly, reconnect with loved ones, and revisit the parts of yourself that got lost in the hustle. But for many Kenyans, retirement looks like another job. We see people starting businesses immediately after leaving employment, becoming consultants, jumping into family obligations, or even relocating to their rural homes only to pick up farming or new responsibilities. Rest doesn’t feel earned—it feels guilty. Instead of enjoying time with grandkids, learning something new, or simply sitting with the self, many continue running. But what if retirement—and seasons like it—were not a signal to do more, but an invitation to ...