Having lived in Karratha, Western Australia, for six years, Philip and his wife Wangari Kamau often reflect on their journey. The couple attest that their lives have been guided by a divine plan for how far they’ve come today.
Philip Kamau, son of the seventh wife in a polygamous family, grew up with 28 brothers and 15 sisters. His childhood was full of torture from his older step-siblings. Despite the family’s dysfunction, his father, who owned nearly 300 acres of land, shared it with everyone.
Kamau was a sharp student, topping his KCPE class when the 8-4-4 system was introduced. He would go barefoot from primary school through sixth grade. In his early years, he stood out for his leadership qualities which were recognized by his high school teachers and peers.
“If you are given authority, it is your responsibility to convert that authority into power and you make sure you leave no doubt of who is in charge,” Kamau profoundly recalled a conversation with one of the former Presidents of Botswana.
After high school, Kamau was admitted to the University of Nairobi, where he pursued a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. Graduating in 1997, he became the first in his family to earn a college degree. It was a celebratory feat for his village as well.
“Kamau, I want you to know this, all my land will be shared by my children. You will never share education with anyone, it is yours…that is your personal inheritance,” he recalled his father’s words.
During that time, jobs in his field were scarce. He remembered people in his village saying that if getting a degree just meant digging, there was no point in going to university.
Philip Kamau spent years from 1997 to 2000 walking around Nairobi in search of work, but opportunities were few and far between thus life was extremely tough.
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Kamau had previously obtained a passport and had a friend in the US. He planned to leave Kenya through his friend, but the 1998 American Embassy bombing in Nairobi stopped his plans as visas were no longer being issued.
His backup plan was to leave Kenya and live with a family he was familiar with in Botswana He sold his radio, received Sh. 35,000 from his mother, and $300 from his uncle. With this money, he bought a ticket and travelled by road to Botswana.
“Life in Botswana was hard. We had Kenyans who were being recruited by the Botswana government to go and work there. They were called expatriates. If you went to Botswana on your own, they called you Vasco Da Gama’s. They hated us,” he said.
In Botswana, Kamau noticed that many Kenyans were moving to the US and UK. Getting a US visa was relatively easy there.
His turn to try came and when he went to the embassy hoping for a positive outcome, the consular officer looked him over and stamped his application with a denial.
“More than 30 Kenyans went and got visas. I went to the American embassy, they asked me whether I’d been to Europe… Denied!” he said mimicking the stamp the consular officer makes.
“I was the first Kenyan to be denied a visa and the whole story spread like bushfire among Kenyans in Botswana. I went to the UK embassy with the same bank statement and everything else…Denied!”
Luckily, Kamau found a job and a place to live. He then got a chance through an agency to work on a farm in New Zealand. His degree made him a top candidate. However, once he arrived there, he faced even tougher challenges.
However, he remained resilient despite the numerous setbacks until he got permanent residence in the country.