East or West, home is always best. This has been well vested in the life of Emmily Tiampati, a lady living in Narok. Despite spending almost half of her life in the US for education and work, Emmily still values her home and the people who raised her.
A woman who appreciates leading a quiet lifestyle, Emmily has constructed a magnificent 3-bedroom house after her return from America. Speaking to vlogger Miano, she noted that she first went to the US after high school, to pursue her undergraduate and master’s degree in Urban planning.
“By the way, I was so excited to go…I went to the US and I loved it. It’s my second home,” she narrated
After completing her studies, Emmily started working for a government agency in the US. Despite her busy schedule there, she made it a point to visit her family in Kenya every year. However, she felt that these short visits were not enough for her.
“I had a very good job…but I still felt something was missing. I used to come back every year to visit my grandmother,” she said.
“When you’re in the US and are working with the government, getting a 3-week leave, especially during Christmas takes luck.”
As she approached her forties, Emmily woke up one day and realized that true happiness and fulfilment lay in the finer things of life back home in Kenya. So, she made a bold decision to quit her job in the US and move back to Kenya to pursue her purpose.
One of the reasons Emmily returned to Kenya was to care for her grandmother. She felt deeply grateful because her grandmother had taken care of her since she was just two months old. Returning home was Emmily’s way of giving back and showing her appreciation.
“People think life in the US is glamorous. Life is tough, it’s fun yes, we are making money…so I considered coming home is what makes me happy, so that’s what I’m going to do,” she continued.
She has a YouTube channel (@EmmilyTiampati) where she documents more reasons as to why she left the United States for a calmer and more serene life in Kenya.
Upon arriving in Kenya, Emmily wasted no time and started building her mansion in Narok after buying land. Humble beginnings in the motherland, Emmily lived in a simple mabati house during the construction of her new home.
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She endured the discomfort of the temporary house, which had no windows and became very hot during the day and extremely cold at night. But she persevered until her 3-bedroom mansion was finally complete.
Within her compound, she has set up 3 water tanks, solar electricity for lighting, an outdoor pit latrine and an improvised structure where she keeps poultry.
“One thing for me, I can live without electricity, but I cannot live without water,” she said.
Emmily noted that house construction is quite expensive in Kenya currently. She said that her house, despite being unfinished, costs over Sh. 3 million. One challenge she encountered during construction was dealing with the perception that local workers had because she’s from ‘majuu’.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s the standard price for constructing a 3-bedroom. I know I was taken advantage of.”
