At the age of 29 years old, James Mwangi has tarmacked for atleast nine years looking for a decent job, but all in vein.
The University Of Nairobi graduate was forced to pick any work that would assure him food on the table, and that was to become a Matatu tout aka Makanga.
One would be right to think that James Mwangi has never gone for job hunting, but not until he admits to you that he sent more than 200 job application papers in various pharmaceutical companies and laboratories.
Among them, he never secured any employment opportunity to help himself , his dad who works on menial jobs and a mother who is not employed in any sector.
The alumnus of Gathaiti Primary and Ngenia High school in Limuru says that getting a job in Kenya without proper ‘connections’ or someone you know closely can be a daunting task.
“I would be a part time teacher at Temple Road high school Nairobi and St Grace Learning Centre Uplands during semester breaks and even at one time went to Somalia but ended up in a construction firm erecting security infrastructure in 2012.
After failing to secure a reliable decent job opportunity, he ventured into several businesses such as mitumba trade and a bar in Nairobi which all failed to bring for him good business.
“When I was invited to Somalia I thought I was going to exercise my knowledge only to be sent to AMISOM camp,”
He decided to put his papers and ego at the back banner and approached a matatu operator at; Everbest route terminus in Limuru.
His new job now was calling out potential passengers verbally to board matatus.
“Mine is basically a job of persuading public to board my SAACO matatus as the competition here is break neck,” explains Mwangi whose other duties include to “follow on SAACO payments by individual matatus.”
He is at the moment proud of making about Ksh.12,000 per month, as long as it is clean money for him, nothing else matters.
“I call my customers with dignity and with a lot of decorum and this has earned Everbest respect at the terminus,” Mwangi said,
Jane Njeri, a customer agreess saying “Mwangi is courteous, well- groomed and handles us in a very dignified way that’s why I board here.”
However, Mwangi is still hopeful that his job hunt breakthrough will one day come calling
“I feel bad but I am determined to soldier on, I am not giving up any time soon,” said Mwangi said
