Livestock farming is one of the ventures that has been hyped
as a gateway to financial freedom. The story of Opicho illustrates the odds
that face ordinary Kenyans that are considering this gateway.
Opicho is a night guard with one of the many security
companies in Kenya. He is stationed outside one of the supermarkets in the CBD.
He is old and frail, many are the times that he is caught dozing on the cold
pavement. He earns about 9000 Kenya shillings a month; roughly 100 USD a month.
A hundred dollars a month can not afford Opicho three meals a day; he eats once , at 2pm before he can start the long trek to work. He lives in the Kibera slums, which is about 7 kilometers from his place of work. Taking public transport to and from his place of work will take away a quarter of his salary. Given that another quarter of his salary goes to rent, he has to walk to work, for him to remain with some change for his family. He can’t afford to live with his family in Nairobi, his family lives in upcountry where they own an 8th of an acre of land.
A hundred dollars a month can not afford Opicho three meals a day; he eats once , at 2pm before he can start the long trek to work. He lives in the Kibera slums, which is about 7 kilometers from his place of work. Taking public transport to and from his place of work will take away a quarter of his salary. Given that another quarter of his salary goes to rent, he has to walk to work, for him to remain with some change for his family. He can’t afford to live with his family in Nairobi, his family lives in upcountry where they own an 8th of an acre of land.
