Many people wonder how individuals who are perceived to be academically weak or unintelligent can make surprising moves in life and succeed, while they themselves struggle to achieve similar success despite being highly educated and hardworking. This essay compares the life journeys of two people, a matatu tout and a banker, to show how good and bad choices affect who we become in life. The essay is not meant to demean any career but to educate people on how their choices can influence their lives.
A matatu tout is a career that is seen as a preserve for the academically weak and unintelligent people. In contrast, a career in banking is coveted by many people worldwide. A matatu tout can start working almost immediately after finishing form four, while a banking clerk needs a bachelor’s degree or advanced training in accounts, which takes at least three years of post-secondary school. On a good day, a matatu tout in Nairobi can take home Ksh 3,000, while a banking clerk earns a basic salary of Ksh 30,000 to Ksh 40,000.
Due to the nature of the matatu tout’s job, he does not require to pay fare to and from town. He can comfortably rent a house in some dark corner of Githurai 45 for Ksh 3,000 per month. On the other hand, the banker, due to his perceived high-class status, will rent a bed-sitter in Roysambu or any other middle-income estate for Ksh 10,000 per month. The banker has to pay for matatu fare to and from work every day.
The matatu tout can save more because of his low expenses. He can join a SACCO and save with the dream of purchasing his own matatu. He can also take advantage of his employer’s free transport to collect second-hand clothes in Gikomba and start up a small market stall in the busy Githurai market. In contrast, the banker will be busy trying to fit into a certain lifestyle. His biggest worry will be how to upgrade from the bed-sitter to a one-bedroom house in Garden Estate or Ruaka, and he will be working hard to get a loan to buy a car.
Five years later, the matatu tout has become a PSV matatu driver, and his daily take-home has risen from Ksh 3,000 to Ksh 5,000. He already has the hard skills of managing this tricky business, and his mtumba business has blossomed. In contrast, the banker has managed to clock in a few more years of experience and has been promoted to a better position.
In conclusion, the life journey of the matatu tout and the banker shows that good and bad choices in life affect who we become. The matatu tout succeeded because he made wise and disciplined choices and was streetwise. He focused on building his savings and expanding his streams of income. The banker, on the other hand, was busy trying to fit into a certain lifestyle and financing it. While the banker’s story is not all gloom and doom, he needs to reevaluate his choices and focus on building his wealth rather than financing his lifestyle.
