Kelvin Ochieng, a 24-year-old first-class honors graduate who resorted to living in the streets of Nairobi after failing to secure a job, has received employment offers from several companies.
This comes after his plight was highlighted by Citizen TV on Sunday evening in a story titled #FirstClassBetrayal.
Ochieng, who hails from Kisumu County, scored straight A’s at Maranda High School and was admitted to the University of Nairobi, where he studied Actuarial Science and graduated with First Class honors in 2017.
“I can’t get round to how I feel about the fact that Obede, index number one in my year at Maranda and who went on to become one of the best Actuarial students at UoN, is in the streets. It’s something else,” said Austin Omondi, one of his former classmates.
Ochieng has received job offers from a number of County governments, and several private and State corporations after his story was aired.
They include Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Nairobi County government, Migori County government, Naivas Supermarket, Vivo Energy, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) and Centum Investments.
Others are Jamii Bora Bank, Kenya Red Cross, UAP Old Mutual, Triple OK Law Advocates, Actuary Patrick Waweru, Resolution Health East Africa Ltd, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and audit company Deloitte, which was among the places Kevin previously sought a job but was unsuccessful.
Kelvin confessed to having contemplated suicide at some point.
so, if all these jobs were…
so, if all these jobs were available already, shouldn’t these companies be better placed to recruit such talent from the university instead of waiting for some TV station to highlight the young man’s plight? Kenya is rotten to the core. this guy should have gotten a job straight out of uni.
It will pay off = PR for the…
It will pay off = PR for the company but lucky for the young man
Does it have to come…
Does it have to come literally to crying and begging in public for a very qualified,and able graduate to land on a job ?.
Now all these companies that are offering to employ him,how long have they had openings?
The government certainly should figure out away to absorb all geaduates,even on temporary basis.
These are the real problems MPIGS should be finding solutions for instead of talking about five star meals, and more packs paid by taxpayers.
Our education should place…
Our education should place more emphasis on self employment vs seeking employment. Such a high achiever has no business being in the streets hanging with chokoras. With his kind of intelligence he should have been somewhere doing something like roasting maize or farming mbogas or transporting goods from one place to another. Do something dont sit in a corner feeling sorry for yourself contemplating suicide. Society does not owe you anything.
That said, good luck to you on your job. Remember to always have a side gig asikae tu ndeeeeeeee or you will be in trouble in the later years when you get replaced. Smarter ones are being born everyday.
I agree. The guy may be book…
I agree. The guy may be book-smart, but not really life-smart. Many people in Kenya are book-smart, but cannot do anything meaningful beyond the book. In fact some graduate engineers, for example, cannot even engineer anything. This mentality of thinking that you have to be hired by a company is what is driving youth to the street. I also think the government should bring back the Moi-era trade colleges that were meant to jump-start self employment such as welding, plumbing, carpentry, electrician-based courses etc.
@ Jag, you are right.This…
@ Jag, you are right.This fellow may be good in academics,but may lack the business acumen to start his own business.Iam sure you are aware that not all can do business.Some have to be hired,work save,build credit,then pursue their ambition.This fellow may fall in this category.
All in all, if he has the drive to succeed, he will make it.
Just another good-for…
Just another good-for-nothing fellow who cannot think beyond his “impressive” academic grades. Those who are clambering to hire the educated layabout will soon realize that he is not self driven, has no ambition, can only do what he’s told to do. What a waste?
Just another good-for…
Just another good-for-nothing fellow who cannot think beyond his “impressive” academic grades. Those who are clambering to hire the educated layabout will soon realize that he is not self driven, has no ambition, can only do what he’s told to do. What a waste?
Wrong education. After 50…
Wrong education. After 50 years of independence where is the balance sheet of return of investment in our education system. If it is a system that produces just degree which are of no use, it’s time to revisit that system. How can one invest all that money and time and not be able to take care of himself or herself.
Any institution that promises to educate and produces non-performing graduates should be closed down or be held accountable.
@ Anonymous UI, I agree with…
@ Anonymous UI, I agree with you on what you have said. Most students,and their school fee payers usually hope that when the student is done with his/her education,there will be ajob waiting.As you can see frustrations can sink in and even make some commit suicide. Our brother here admits that he thought about finishing himself.So does it make sense to keep on churning out graduates who cannot find ajob? Or should we change our educational system and put emphasis or vocational education?
We put too much emphasis on academics,but like you said @ AnonymousUI,after 50 years…. what do we have show for it?
Stop with the fake publicity…
Stop with the fake publicity stunts kwani all these companies willing to hire do not have a HR department is this the first person with such qualifications they have met all fake but anything to do with Jeff Koinange is just that fake.In Kenya it is who you know and not what you know before these companies hire this guy their HR departments must be questioned to confirm they did not overlook another person and they are not just hiring this person for their 15 minutes of fame.Once the hype dies down they will conveniently get rid of the guy using such fake terms like you were not a good fit.At what salary are they hiring him it should match his qualifications and not exploit him if they are genuine.Is that the new method of hiring nowadays really and you wander why the youth feel so hopeless.Just a few companies hoping to get their names out there please do not use then abuse the guy look at githeri man used and disposed off until the next election.
Dear muakilishi comments…
Dear muakilishi comments zangu ziko?
I am sorry to say that some…
I am sorry to say that some people on this feed still suffer from majuu syndrome and I am saying this in a good way. Starting a business in Kenya after graduating from campus is not easy. The most successful businessman/woman in Kenya are “tenderprenors” kizungu ilikuja na meli. The first person unashindana naye will be the MCA who has a matatu business, a corrupt police officer too there na Mpesa kibanda, there is the Governor and his briefcase list of companies. The list goes on, try getting a loan from Kenyan banks ati you want to start a business….. in short Kenya is the only country where you have billionaires who have no exiting companies on the grand. I am a hustler and tried bizna in Kenya mpaka ika fika mahali I said wacha ikae. Basically u cannot come from campus and compete with mama mboga……
@mkenyaDamu I concur. Some…
@mkenyaDamu I concur. Some people here are thinking unrealistically. We cannot all do businesses. The stress and frustration this young man has gone through, ni yeye tu anajua. Someone unqualified is probably sitting in his position right now as we speak. That someone came in from the back-door. With the high levels of nepotism in Kenya, how do you expect qualufied graduates to get a job? Na hivyo hivyo ndio Kenya yetu itaishia mavumbini. We have unqualified people runni the country, kazi kuiba tu and yet we question an honest and hardworking graduate. The education industry in Kenya is busy making billions with nothing in return. If this trend continues, they should scrap off these colleges and instead focus on professional tertiary education.