By: John S. Morlu II, CPA
I got into an Uber expecting a silent ride. Instead, I got a life lesson.
The driver, sharply dressed and articulate, greeted me with, “Karibu sana!” Then he added casually, “I have a Master’s in Chemistry.”
Excuse me?
Yep. Master’s degree. In Chemistry. And here he was, expertly dodging potholes and navigating Nairobi traffic like a street-savvy GPS. Why? Because the job market didn’t match his qualifications — but the man still had to hustle. Respect.
He smiled and said, “In Nairobi, anything you want, you get. You want a PhD in agriculture? You get. You want a certificate in underwater basket weaving? You get. You want to start a bakery without knowing how to bake? Pole sana, but yes… you get.”
He wasn’t bitter. In fact, he was full of calm, collected Nairobi optimism. “No rush,” he said. “It will happen.”
As we entered the Central Business District (CBD), he pointed out the buzz — banks, boda bodas, flashy suits, matatus with subwoofers louder than your thoughts — and said, “See? Nairobi makes space for everyone. Whether you have a degree or just big dreams. Just don’t sit idle. You must move.”
When I stepped out, he gave me a handshake and said: “Good luck, my friend. Remember, all things are possible in Nairobi.”
That moment stayed with me. Because Nairobi is that paradoxical kind of city: chaotic and calm, hopeful and hard, structured and spontaneous — all at once.
📌 Fun Fact: Nairobi has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa. It also has some of the most overqualified Uber drivers in the world.
🧪 Chemistry meets Commerce: When a Master’s degree holder is your driver, and your hotel concierge holds a diploma in molecular biology — you realize the job market isn’t broken. It’s overcrowded and misaligned. But the spirit? Unbreakable.
🎓 Satirical Reality: Nairobi doesn’t waste education — it just repurposes it. One day, your Uber driver might formulate a better fuel blend between pickups.
🎯 Life Lesson: Degrees might open doors, but attitude drives the car.
And in Nairobi?
It drives it straight into possibility.
📚 More Fun Facts:
- Kenya graduates over 500,000 students a year. But many find themselves in jobs that never required a diploma — unless sarcasm was a major.
- Nairobi has more degree holders per square mile than some U.S. suburbs — and yet half of them are solving real-world logistics on a motorcycle or designing logos for boda boda shops.
- Uber drivers in Nairobi don’t just give you a ride — they give you market analysis, spiritual encouragement, and sometimes dating advice. It’s a 3-in-1 package.
💡 Interesting Tidbit:
In Kenya, someone will create a startup to solve your smallest problem — even if that problem is how to deliver boiled maize to your grandmother during traffic.
😂 Satirical Addition:
In Nairobi, your Uber driver might have a Master’s degree, your waiter might be a software engineer, and your electrician might know three programming languages. But your landlord? Oh, he just owns land. No degrees. Just rent collection expertise.
🧠 Insightful Reality:
The problem isn’t lack of intelligence. It’s lack of alignment. Kenya, like many developing economies, has produced a generation of thinkers with nowhere to plug their brains in. So they improvise — and in the process, create the most resilient economy of all: one powered by grit, hope, and a never-ending belief that “it will happen.”
🔥 Final Punchline:
In Nairobi, dreams don’t die. They just get rerouted through matatu traffic until they find parking.
About the Author
John is an entrepreneur, strategist, and founder of JS Morlu, LLC, a Virginia based CPA firm with multiple software ventures including www.FinovatePro.com, www.Recksoft.com and www.Fixaars.com . With operations spanning multiple countries, John is on a mission to build global infrastructure that empowers small businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals to thrive in an increasingly competitive world. He believes in hard truths, smart execution, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. When he’s not writing or building, he’s challenging someone to a productivity contest—or inventing software that automates it.