When Kenyans move abroad for work, very few come back to share their experiences and the realities they found on the ground.

But one brave Kenyan has come out to share how he moved from Kenya to Qatar and the realities he found when he started working in Qatar as a security guard. Here’s what this Kenyan living in Qatar shared:

When I settled on coming to the Gulf in 2022, I had researched and through elimination method of destinations abroad, Gulf seemed easier to move to from +254 for work. It’s true because I only needed Sh. 150,000 give or take, money that I paid to the agent.

I didn’t have it but penye nia pana njia, so they say. I didn’t have it because for 7 years from my graduation from The University, the hustles I used to do were neither here nor there and the experiences gained couldn’t count much towards gainful employment.

So I came to Gulf for security work with high hopes of changing and getting into my profession. The realities:

1). I couldn’t change jobs because the labour laws are strict and you can only be in one contract. (The employer was cunning enough and made us sign 5 year contracts).

2). To change employment you have to exit Qatar and a new employer will send you a visa. But the current employer can never cancel your visa/resident permit even if you bite his fingers.

3). The working hours-12 hours duty plus about 2 hours of commuting to and from. So you only get to accommodation quarters too tired and you’ll never have a chance to look for work opportunities. It’s sleep-work-sleep-work unending routine. I can also mention that it’s 7 days a week with only one day for resting in a month.

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4). The salary is meagre, and crazy deductions for very absurd reasons such as smoking in non designated areas, noise making in accommodation, not wearing laced shoes etc. You’ll be lucky to get the full 1,500 riyals in a month. That’s Sh. 53,000 so please have mercy on us from home

5). If you begin games of being a hard head to the company they will frustrate you, you’ll not go for continuous duty and you’ll even have lower salary. Or you’ll be assigned tough locations such as standing 12 hours or in outdoor posts in Doha heat; you will die!

6). There is a very high race based work environment. Local waarabu, whites, African Arabs, Asians are always above a black African at work places yet most of the time you know more than them. If you are in a management position where they are under you, utapata sabotage ingine hujawahi ona. Mental health yako itakufa.

Anyway, there is a silver lining to everything. I can’t whine and do nothing and soon I’ll be back with a revealed identity for opportunities that I’m praying for.

And by the way if you’re still interested in coming then Gulf is a very nice place to appreciate working systems and building resilience. You’ll come triumph and have a story someday.