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David Otieno and his wife Cynthia Achieng’ Wasike turned to washing people’s clothes due to unemployment
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The couple from Kwale County, who both graduated from Maseno University, said securing formal and permanent employment has been extremely difficult
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Otieno, who is visually impaired, opened up about the frustrations he faced in obtaining a Teachers Service Commission (TSC) number
A couple, residing in Ukunda, Kwale county, are struggling to understand why they remain unemployed despite attaining the required educational qualifications.
David Otieno and his wife, Cynthia Achieng’ Wasike, are both degree holders but have found it difficult to secure permanent and formal jobs.
They have turned to menial jobs such as washing clothes as their primary means of livelihood.
Which bachelor’s degree does Otieno holds?
Otieno, who holds a bachelor’s degree in special education, expressed his frustration with the TSC, which has denied him registration despite him also acquiring a diploma in inclusive education over a decade ago.
“I went to the TSC office in Nairobi. They told me they could not give me a job because of the minimum grade I attained in my Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. They said I was just bridging with the diploma.
I was asked to go back to school and do an undergraduate degree so I could get a job. That never happened,” said the visually impaired Otieno.
Otieno allegedly denied TSC number
His attempts to seek employment as a special needs teacher have been unsuccessful. He claims that the TSC denied him a registration number, despite him meeting all the qualifications they required.
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Otieno’s wife, Achieng’, also a Maseno University graduate, holds a bachelor’s degree in Arts and faces similar challenges in securing employment.
“I have applied for jobs many times. You apply over and over but eventually give up because there’s no hope, no positive feedback. You tell yourself, even if you apply and submit documents, nothing will change,” she said.
Kwale couple takes up manual jobs
The couple resorted to taking up manual jobs such as washing clothes to make ends meet.
“We do this because we have no option, no alternative. The kids need to eat. They don’t understand the struggles. When they wake up, all they want is food. If they don’t get it, they cry.
As parents, we are forced to wash people’s clothes because we have no jobs, and we’ve just been sitting with our degrees at home,” she shared.
Achieng’ opens up on on emotional toll of unemployment
Otieno noted that the house they live in was given to him by his spiritual father, who is also a doctor. They have been living there rent-free since 2008.
Achieng’ broke down as she opened up about the emotional toll of unemployment.
“It’s like my parents have also lost hope. No family member even calls. No one recognizes me. It feels like I’m completely alone,” Achieng’ said tearfully.
Nairobi nursing graduate turns to fruit hawker
Similarly, a nursing graduate turned to hawking fruits with a handcart after failing to secure an internship in his field.
Samuel Kamande, from Murang’a County, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from South Eastern Kenya University in 2024.
The 25-year-old now hawked fruits at Nairobi’s Dagoretti Corner to earn a living, hoping that things would eventually improve.
