u/Suspicious_Drummer27

I'm coming down to the final hours of my first day of living alone.

I have to say, it's peaceful and liberating. I got this house yesterday at 4:00 PM, and it's now 22 hours later.

In my living room, there is absolutely nothing. In my bedroom, there's a 4 by 6 high-density mattress on the floor, still covered in its transparent wrapper, with a brown duvet lying on top. To the side is a navy blue sweater I thrifted from Think Twice. I'm seated on a blue Kenpoly plastic chair, and next to me is an unused broom. Inside the closet are my backpack and a few dirty clothes. I'm reluctant to wash them.

Ahead of me, I can see a corridor and the sink situated next to the door leading into the living room. Sitting on the sink is my latest purchase: a small blue basin, 12 spoons, 6 plastic cups, 2 plates, one metallic holder, and a single serving spoon. Adjacent to it is a shelf holding a half-filled 1L bottle of Fanta Pineapple and another bottle with clean drinking water. There's also some sugar and salt.

I haven't bought a sufuria or a gas cooker yet, so I can't skip ahead and buy the most anticipated purchase of all: a crate of 30 or 36 kienyeji eggs.

I am happy. I am pleased.

I was living at home at 26, and I was mentally struggling. Don't get me wrong, my mental state is gradually getting better, but it definitely cannot compare to how I felt a week ago at my folks' house. They love me and care about me, but I soon figured out that living away is the best possible move for me.

I have nothing to gloat about, but this one-bedroom apartment already feels like home despite its physical emptiness. One thing at a time. Maybe a couch. A 36-inch TV. Eventually.

I'm getting hungry, though. I have to head out for a meal at some kibandaski (chuom) nearby.

I am in urgent need of a one bedroom apartment ama bedsitter in nakuru around nakuru county referral. Anyone with leads jameni niconnect, otherwise I'll have to sleep in an airbnb yet again.

London estate seems to lack viable options.

Please dm ama uniconnect if you have any leads, contacts or suggestions. Thanks in advance

I thought the first time I'd interact with corruption, I'd be the one benefiting. Picture me at KICC, and there's some cash (in the hundreds of millions) being offered to me to approve some deal.

This doesn't mean I'd engage in corruption. I wouldn't. I'm just a web developer offering services to clients. Willing buyer, willing seller.

Anyway.

I'm 26M, and I was at Afya House collecting my posting letter. I had been placed at a particular hospital in Kasarani as a Medical Officer Intern. I wasn't thrilled with the placement, so I wanted to swap with a colleague who had been posted to a different centre outside Nakuru. (Names withheld because I'd rather not dox myself.)

Swapping internship centres is supposed to be a free process, as long as both parties agree. All you need is your National ID, a swap request letter, and your initial placement slip.

So I did exactly that.

On arriving, though, they kept sending me back and forth between MOH and KMPDC. I kept getting conflicting messages, including, "Swaps are not being carried out."

Eventually, I gave up.

I relocated to Kasarani and started house hunting. That same day, I received a call telling me the swap was actually possible... but I'd have to part with KSh 20,000.

Mind you, I'd already spent about three days in a cheap Airbnb in the CBD (KSh 1,900 per night), and my expenses had already shot past KSh 10,000. I was literally in the middle of house hunting and had narrowed it down to three studio apartments in the KSh 12k–14k range.

I told the caller I couldn't accept that. I said I was already settling into Kasarani, and moving now would just inconvenience me.

His response?

"The swap has already been effected. Your name is no longer registered at the Kasarani facility."

Anyway, I had no option.

For a second, I considered reporting to the new facility and simply refusing to pay the guy at MOH. Then I imagined him getting annoyed and somehow switching my posting to Garissa.

So I called my swap mate and told him we needed KSh 20,000. I couldn't even afford to split the cost because my budget was already stretched. He offered to pay the whole amount, on the condition that I'd refund him in about a month.

I went back to Afya House from Kasarani, collected the new posting letter, and eventually paid KSh 15,000 after they "kindly" bargained the figure down from KSh 20,000.

I'm now en route to the other centre.

I fucking hate that I enabled corruption. I hate the gut punch of realizing that I thought I was above being a victim of it. And I hate imagining what other people have to go through.

Fuck Kenya.

I'm actively working on a plan to leave this fucked-up country.

I thought the first time I'd interact with corruption, I'd be the one benefiting. Picture me at KICC, and there's some cash (in the hundreds of millions) being offered to me to approve some deal.

This doesn't mean I'd engage in corruption. I wouldn't. I'm just a web developer offering services to clients. Willing buyer, willing seller.

Anyway.

I'm 26M, and I was at Afya House collecting my posting letter. I had been placed at a particular hospital in Kasarani as a Medical Officer Intern. I wasn't thrilled with the placement, so I wanted to swap with a colleague who had been posted to a different centre outside Nakuru. (Names withheld because I'd rather not dox myself.)

Swapping internship centres is supposed to be a free process, as long as both parties agree. All you need is your National ID, a swap request letter, and your initial placement slip.

So I did exactly that.

On arriving, though, they kept sending me back and forth between MOH and KMPDC. I kept getting conflicting messages, including, "Swaps are not being carried out."

Eventually, I gave up.

I relocated to Kasarani and started house hunting. That same day, I received a call telling me the swap was actually possible... but I'd have to part with KSh 20,000.

Mind you, I'd already spent about three days in a cheap Airbnb in the CBD (KSh 1,900 per night), and my expenses had already shot past KSh 10,000. I was literally in the middle of house hunting and had narrowed it down to three studio apartments in the KSh 12k–14k range.

I told the caller I couldn't accept that. I said I was already settling into Kasarani, and moving now would just inconvenience me.

His response?

"The swap has already been effected. Your name is no longer registered at the Kasarani facility."

Anyway, I had no option.

For a second, I considered reporting to the new facility and simply refusing to pay the guy at MOH. Then I imagined him getting annoyed and somehow switching my posting to Garissa.

So I called my swap mate and told him we needed KSh 20,000. I couldn't even afford to split the cost because my budget was already stretched. He offered to pay the whole amount, on the condition that I'd refund him in about a month.

I went back to Afya House from Kasarani, collected the new posting letter, and eventually paid KSh 15,000 after they "kindly" bargained the figure down from KSh 20,000.

I'm now en route to the other centre.

I fucking hate that I enabled corruption. I hate the gut punch of realizing that I thought I was above being a victim of it. And I hate imagining what other people have to go through.

Fuck Kenya.

I'm actively working on a plan to leave this fucked-up country.

Oh, and while we're at it...

Nairobi is ugly as fuck.

It's dirty, people are everywhere, it's overstimulating, and the only genuinely nice thing is the Expressway—which some Redditor once described as "a Gucci belt on a street urchin."

I completely agree.

On the bright side, though, I didn't lose my phone. And at one point, while rushing through one street, a few scantily dressed ladies offered me bend-overs. ("Kapendofa," were their exact words.)

Also...

Why the fuck are you guys queueing for hours every evening just to go home? Even if you own a car, you're still lining up in traffic anyway.

To anyone about to tell me Nairobi is a nice place...

Eff you in advance.

Thanks.

Admin, pole in advance.

So I'm 26(M), and the reason I live in my mom's house is because I finished campus at 25. My degree took six years, so you can fill in the rest of the blanks yourself.

My university life was pretty decent. I had a fairly controlled clubbing life, never passed out from alcohol, had decent finances, and decent relationships—with one that nearly took me out huko freshman year.

In the entire six years, there was only one week I was actually broke. Hio time nilikopa like KSh 500 from a friend. Otherwise, I even had enough surplus to join a gym when I was 24, na nimekuwa nikichapa mpaka today.

So in summary, my life was fine. I felt in charge of my life. I felt my persona grow. I think that's what is called individuation. My views of life gradually shifted away from my parents' views.

Then graduation happened.

Boom. Niko home because the plan was simple: six months, then I move out.

Now guys, no one tells you how living back at home slowly erodes your persona. No. It's not even about the dishes. All children should wash dishes in their mother's house regardless of age.

The real issue is that your parents will almost certainly never stop seeing you as a kid. And that comes with the name-calling and the condescending remarks.

"Hautumii akili."

"Unataka kuambiwa kila kitu."

"Wewe vile uko hivi mkubwa bado unataka mama yako..."

Or the classic, "Amka, tunaenda church... ushago... kwa auntie yako." Last-minute decisions that you're simply expected to go along with.

Pole pole, I went from being genuinely happy to be home to asking myself, "Hizi miezi sita zitaisha lini?"

Anyway, about a month before I was due to move out, I sat my mom down early one morning for what I jokingly called a four-agenda meeting.

1. "Mom, you have to stop using hurtful words when correcting me."

2. "I'd appreciate it if you let me navigate Nairobi by myself." She wanted kunizindikisha all the way to IUPC in Lavington for an international exam I had.

3. "When I move out, I'll get my own house. There's no need to accompany me all the way from Kericho to Nairobi kutafuta nyumba." Then I added, "I'm four years shy of 30, Mom. Hizi vitu nitajifanyia." I also told her, "Have faith in me. You've brought me up well."

4. "You can't accompany me to get a job."

I understand that all of this comes from love. I genuinely do.

But it had gotten me to my edge. I couldn't even recognize myself. The internal me, my narrative, the me that made me, had shrunk.

After that conversation, my mom hasn't really spoken to me for four weeks, but she talks to my bro and siz normally.

Anyway, I move out this week. There's a job inaanza in the same week. Solid pay.

About a week ago, my dad had a Google Meet (coz he's currently out of the country) with me. Despite generally being the more understanding parent, he told me I'd bruised my mom's heart. He said I should apologize. That mentioning my age was rude. That as an adult, I should have learnt kuelewa my mom's language, and termed it, "family register".

Saa hii I am just guilty, feeling like the worst son there is on this planet.

Anyway...

Am I the asshole?

So about two weeks ago I travelled to Nairobi. It had been quite some time since I was last there.

For context, I'm 26(M) and I live in Kericho. I had a major exam in Lavington, so this was my first time in Nairobi since I was 14.

Anyway, after the exam nilikua Waiyaki Way. Nikapanda nganya (or whatever you guys call it 😂), nilikua nishukie Ambassador, nitafute Ena Coach, nipande gari ya Kericho nirudi home.

Tell me why the hell Nairobi looks that ugly. It genuinely looks like everyone who knows Nairobi exists is in Nairobi.

Yaani kwani ni slum? I thought it's the capital city. Don't get me wrong, the Lavington and Kileleshwa area ilikuwa piece of art—very aesthetic buildings. Lakini the road to CBD is ugly AF. Ama I'm wrong?

Anyway, for the healthcare providers kwa hii subreddit, I created a health/doctors' space where you can share your experiences, ask questions, and just talk about life in medicine.

https://www.reddit.com/r/KenyaDoctors/s/jiVNrV04uD

Admin, nipee last warning if posting the URL of another sub ni makosa. 😂

So about two weeks ago I travelled to Nairobi. It had been quite some time since I was last there.

For context, I'm 26(M) and I live in Kericho. I had a major exam in Lavington, so this was my first time in Nairobi since I was 14.

Anyway, after the exam nilikua Waiyaki Way. Nikapanda nganya (or whatever you guys call it 😂), nilikua nishukie Ambassador, nitafute Ena Coach, nipande gari ya Kericho nirudi home.

Tell me why the hell Nairobi looks that ugly. It genuinely looks like everyone who knows Nairobi exists is in Nairobi.

Yaani kwani ni slum? I thought it's the capital city. Don't get me wrong, the Lavington and Kileleshwa area ilikuwa piece of art—very aesthetic buildings. Lakini the road to CBD is ugly AF. Ama I'm wrong?

Anyway, for the healthcare providers kwa hii subreddit, I created a health/doctors' space where you can share your experiences, ask questions, and just talk about life in medicine.

Admin, nipee last warning if posting the URL of another sub ni makosa. 😂

Hey everyone! I'm u/Suspicious_Drummer27, a founding moderator of r/kenyadoctors. This is our new home for all things related to medicine and healthcare providers. We're excited to have you join us!

What to Post Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about career, etc

Community Vibe We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started

1. Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2. Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3. If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.
4. Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/kenyadoctors amazing.

Hello guys.

I need help asap.

I'm moving to nairobi in about 3 weeks. Nahitaji a good house close to St Francis Community Hospital yenye iko hapo Kasarani.

I have a budget of 8-12k per month for either a one bedroom house or studio. Either can do.

So if you guys have contacts ama leads, please share. This is time critical.

Thank you in advance. My DMs are also open

PS: How is the security hapo plus water access? Insights will be appreciated.

I’m not really a fan of rap or the whole Drake vs Kendrick thing, but leo nimefungua hiyo Iceman. I’ll admit, some tracks are actually legit. And from the few times I’ve listened to Kendrick, I’ve generally enjoyed his music more than Drake’s.

As for Drake’s album streams toppling Kendrick’s, I’d say a lot of it comes down to marketing. This guy was literally dropping giant ice cubes in the middle of a city somewhere — nimesahau ilikuwa wapi. That kind of rollout pulls attention fast.

Anyway, acha nirudi kwa my weird music taste niwaachie hizi battles.

Jana the lady's been telling me if I'd proposed at that time, her answer would have been yes.

Leo the girl has been MIA, mara simu ilizimika, mara she's getting lunch she'll text later to which she didn't.

In my head, "Aah, fuck! Here we go again."

Anyway, this could be me over-reacting, ama my gut telling me to start looking for a new contestant.

MODS msamehee my post today. On good days I utilize good storytelling and plot twists. Thanks

##EDIT several hours after the initial post above this line

Poleni! Pole for the confusion. Turns out she went cold coz of how I responded to the marriage conversation the previous night. I responded in a non-reassuring way. That's sorted out now.

Thanks.

So I’m walking somewhere in the middle of Nyamira kwenda kwa shop, then I meet a family acquaintance. You know the type. One of those guys who helps with jobs around home — kulima shamba, kuchimba choo na visima, carrying moderately sized tree logs for like 100-200 bob for the whole job.

So we greet each other.

But instead of a normal handshake, this man suddenly locks his arm mid-air and tells me:

“Budge my hand from this position.”

— in Kisii language of course 😭

Now for context, I’m 26M and I’ve been in the gym since around 24½. So I’m not weak per se. There’s actual strength there. Bench PR around 90kg, squat 140kg, forearm veins, and those things my non-gym friends refuse to believe my physique can actually do.

And before people imagine some aesthetic physique — no. I don’t look like a body builder. Just that subtle functional muscle pop of a natural gym-goer who uses water and bananas, no creatine, no steroids.

So naturally, I accept the challenge.

I push.

Nothing.

I push harder.

Still NOTHING.

Brother… this man’s arm was not moving AT ALL 😭

And the funny thing is, I could feel him realizing that I’m actually strong. Not “cerelac soft-life” strong. Proper gym strength. He could feel I was genuinely trying.

This man had a subtle alcohol breath too, but whatever alcohol does to coordination clearly does NOT apply to village-man tendon strength.

Because what was in that forearm was not anatomy anymore. That was accumulated economic hardship.

You could literally see it in the forearms:

- Mine had gym veins.

- His had those dry, terrifying village-man striations that look like they come bundled with unpaid form 3 school fees, low rainfall, and 17 years of manual labour.

This man has never touched a dumbbell in his life, but I’m convinced if life depended on it, he could uproot a fence post with one hand and recover faster than me after leg day.

At some point I genuinely felt that if I kept pushing out of ego, I would leave Nyamira with a forearm fracture and a valuable lesson about functional strength 😭

There’s gym strength.

Then there’s:

“Naweza kulimia your 1/2 acre at 300 bob and finish before sunset” strength.

Ladies, be honest:

Is THIS the kind of masculine strength you actually rate?

Ama ni TV strength?

Kina Chris Brown, Hemsworth na watu wa TikTok edits? Mniambie tu ukweli