KenyaOnAShoeString: Real Advice for Real Kenyans

  There’s a line I came across that I haven’t been able to forget: " In some ways, wealth simply means paying attention to the prices you pay." It sounds simple, almost obvious. But when you really think about it — it’s quietly revolutionary. Because we Kenyans, like much of the world, are always paying. We pay in shillings, in time, in stress, in sleep, in borrowed peace. And most times, we do it without noticing. The tragedy isn’t that life is expensive — it’s that we don’t realize what it’s truly costing us. The Hidden Prices We Pay We live in a world that constantly tells us what we should want. The right phone. The right shoes. The right wedding. The right image of success. We nod along, swipe the card, take the loan, and promise ourselves we’ll figure it out later. Because everyone else seems to be doing the same. But everything has a price. That phone upgrade may cost you your emergency fund. That flashy lifestyle may cost you your peace of mind. That “soft ...

Why does doing the right thing feel like a punishment nowadays? You refuse “ chai ” and lose a tender. You return extra change and get a strange look. You speak up at work and become “difficult.” In a world that seems to reward shortcuts, spin, and spectacle, integrity can feel like a tax you pay while others speed past. And yet integrity has its own currency —quiet, slow, and hard to counterfeit. The problem is that most of us don’t keep both ledgers open. We see the immediate costs of being honest and miss the compounding returns. Let’s unpack how we got here, why integrity feels penalized, what its currency actually buys, and how to live it without becoming naïve—or bitter. How We Slid Into “Everything Is a Transaction” This didn’t happen overnight. Three long arcs converged: From community to market: As life monetized—education, healthcare, even celebrations—more decisions became price-tag decisions. When money mediates everything, “what works” often beats “what’s right.” ...

We are living in an era where the loudest anthem is: "I’m doing me.” It’s on our timelines, in our music, in our conversations. We’re constantly told: “Do what makes you happy,” “Protect your peace,” “Cut them off,” “No one owes anyone anything,” and “I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks.” It sounds liberating — and in some ways, it is. For generations burdened by shame, tradition, and repression, choosing yourself can feel like rebellion, even survival. But something else is happening. A creeping culture of emotional detachment, hyper-individualism, and social numbness is taking root. And while it’s easy to chant “IDGAF” as a form of empowerment, it’s much harder to see when this same ideology begins to fracture communities, normalize selfishness, and erode our shared humanity. When Individualism Stops Being Empowering We’ve long been taught to conform — to the family name, to religion, to the community’s expectations. So when the pendulum swung and people started reclai...

“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...