Degrees in Kenya: You may have heard the cliche, Grade A students work for Grade D students. Well, this feature explores why degree holders in this country tend not to do too well when it goes to generating wealth. (The views expressed by our guest Contributor do not expressly reflect the position of Bizna Kenya. Bizna Kenya would love to hear your experience on this subject. Please feel free to leave us your comment):
Most of the educated people in Kenya are poor. Majority of the educated earn less than kshs 50,000 for a salary before tax and other deductions. When the deductions are put into consideration, the net salary comes to around Ksh. 40,000.
The net salary then suffers from loan deductions of up to Ksh. 10,000 leaving the salary at around Ksh. 30,000. The landlord then demands his Ksh. 15,000 and monthly shopping takes away Ksh. 5,000 leaving one with Ksh. 10,000.
The bus will demand Ksh. 6000 going to and from work and relatives get another Ksh. 1000. The whole salary is gone and borrowed money starts operating. The borrowed money includes short loans and salary advances.
Inside musician Samidoh’s dairy farm making up to Sh. 330,000 monthly
The difference between poverty and prosperity is property. A prosperous person has property to his name while a poverty-stricken person has no property to show.
Using this understanding, therefore, most of the degree holders are poverty-stricken, borrowing money to buy chicken and chips, pizza, and a car.
The biggest excuse for getting paid such low amounts of money and having to sit and work for another person for 30 days is THE DEGREE that one possesses and that’s all.
This has made most of the degree holders very poor to poverty struck and will die that way most likely.
According to a recent post on Nairobiwire.com, a degree holder does not know how to generate money unless that money is generated for the employer.
A degree holder is so dependent on the salary that he can do anything to get a job but will not think of starting a business of his own to employ others.
1. A degree holder is not prepared to sell chips but is very happy to work for a hungry lion.
2. A degree holder is not prepared to sell popcorn in the street but is very happy to work for Airtel outlet in a tent by the roadside.
3. A degree holder is not prepared to sell second-hand clothes but is very happy to be employed by a company that is in the business of selling second-hand clothes.
4. A degree holder is not prepared to make Ksh. 100,000 monthly doing his own business but is very happy to work at the till in a bank getting paid Ksh. 70,000.
5. A degree holder is not prepared to start a company and grow it in two to three years but will spend three years searching for a job.
6. A degree holder is not prepared to sell food to students but will be happy to be reporting to a boss with no qualifications as long as he is paid Ksh. 50,000 for a salary.
7. A degree holder is so eager to get out of this country and work in another country than spend time to develop his own country.
8. A Kenyan degree holder staying in a foreign land is very keen to condemn Kenya but never contributing to the development of this country.
9. A Kenyan degree holder would rather sweep the streets of London or USA than start a business and make money in Kenya – others work in people’s homes doing some work there.
10. A degree holder in Kenya will watch porn on his laptop but never to write a book using the same laptop to sell and make money.
11. A degree holder will blame the government for lack of jobs even after he was on government bursary for him to have his degree.
12. Kenya is blessed with people who have master’s degree and others are doctors in different technical fields such as IT and Engineering but all of them have failed to create a cartoon character and develop a movie from the same instead very happy to buy Tom and Jerry for their children thereby promoting America.
At the school I go to, there is a man that is of very humble background. He does not speak English but sells Coke, Fanta and Sprite at 30 each making a profit of 10 on each drink. He also sells chips at 100 making a profit of 30 on each portion. Not less than 50 students buy chips and a drink every single day.
This means he makes a profit of 40 for a drink and chips and a total profit of Ksh. 2000 per day…every single day. In ten days he makes a profit of Ksh. 20,000, in twenty days Ksh. 40,000 and in thirty days Ksh. 80,000.
The degree holder working in a bank at the till gets a salary of Ksh. 50,000 every month.
Why are the degree holders poor?
Because they have decided to pride themselves in a degree and failed to think better than a man who does not have even a certificate to his name.
Degree holders spend their time liking articles on LinkedIn and Facebook but never have any care in the world to implement what they like. Poverty starts from the mind, a mind that just likes things but never to implement those things.
If you want to progress, throw away that degree and start thinking better than someone without a degree. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and work like an ox for your business. Your hard work will pay off.
Very shallow and generalized perspective. Instead of the sweeping statement “A degree holder is not prepared to sell chips…” you should have said “A degree holder WHO IS NOT prepared to sell chips…”, because there are several degree holders who work in the informal sector, regardless of their degrees.
In former years, degrees used to be held in honor and esteem. Today they are as common as diplomas. That would mean that in Nairobi, probably 3 in the 10 people you meet daily are degree holders. I know degree holders who run mitumba stalls in their estates, rear chicken for sale, operate barber shops, run Ubers – all these as side jobs to their main gig. Gone are the days when people used to have a single stream of income.
Do some research, and perhaps earn yourself a degree to write a more objective piece.
Thanks