Nairobi Senator, Edwin Sifuna narrated his inspiring rise to top political status.
In an interview with TV47, Sifuna revealed that he quit a job that was paying Sh. 400,000 per month just to protect his mental health.
In 2013, Senator Sifuna recalled securing a job as a Legal Affairs Manager at an advertising firm. The job came with lots of excitement since he was upgrading by over twice his base salary, from Sh. 150,000.
Additionally, the job was so good that they even paid for Sifuna’s first car. He also relocated from living in a servant’s quarters to a three-bedroom house.
“Sometimes I hear people say kazi ni kazi. Kazi si kazi! There is a job that can transform your life as well as that of your family and village, and there is a job that disturbs your mental health,” Sifuna advised.
However, the job had only one major problem. His boss was very demanding leading to Sifuna facing a lot of work-related pressure in his tenure at the advertising firm.
Sifuna described him as a ‘boss from hell’ revealing that they are now good friends and very close.
“I know he is watching me because he is my friend nowadays. He used to put a lot of pressure on me. When it got to 2013, I told myself this job is not healthy for me,” he said.
“I was being paid Sh. 400,000 in 2013. It was good money, but I asked myself what was the need of all the stress.”
Sifuna decided to quit his job and practice law on his own. The senator clarified that his primary motivation was safeguarding his mental well-being.
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“That day I quit that job, for the first time I slept with my phone off because my boss used to call any time to give me errands. I slept like a baby. I had been used to sleeping with my phone below my pillow because of the job,” Sifuna expressed in the interview.
He also noted that the favourable economic conditions in 2013 presented raw opportunity which fuelled his ambition to succeed as an entrepreneur.
People & chamas buying lands were his clients. There were also many firms being registered requiring the services of a legal practitioner.
He used to set targets for himself, aiming to make at least Sh. 50,000 per month. This would be enough to pay for his rent and fuel his car.
“I was able to sustain myself for some time.”
Having a lot of free time in his private practice, Sifuna found himself venturing into politics.
He fondly recalled that he met Azimio leader Raila Odinga while on campus. However, his first audience with the former prime minister took place in 2013.
