Many Kenyans harbor the expectation that after graduating from university with flying colors, one would secure a well-paying job.
However, this wasn’t the reality for Mary Muiru.
Despite earning a first-class honor at the university, she found herself begging on the streets, holding a placard showcasing her qualifications, academic credentials, and contact information.
Her educational success began with an A plain in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2013.
“I got an A in the 2013 KCSE exams and enrolled at Egerton University the following year, pursuing Actuarial Science,” she explained.
However, her post-graduation experiences paint a vivid picture of the struggles that young professionals encounter in securing stable employment.
After completing her degree, Muiru took on temporary roles in promotions at a local supermarket and later explored sales and business development positions.
Despite her efforts, these opportunities were marred by short-term contracts and limited growth prospects.
Muiru revealed that the highest monthly salary she received during this period was Ksh20,000.
Faced with scarce job opportunities and a consistent lack of responses from prospective employers, Muiru found herself at a crossroads.
Coming from a humble background with a family unable to provide financial support, she made the difficult decision to beg on the streets.
“I come from a humble background so my family is not in a position to help. I thought about it (begging on the streets) for quite some time and decided to just do it,” she added.
Muiru has done several certificates to upgrade her skills, including Google Data Analytics, Data Analytics and Visualization, Advanced SQL, Excel, and Microsoft Power BI.
