The Minister Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport, and Public Works, Kipchumba Murkomen has narrated how he started life in Nairobi after leaving the village as a settler in the Embobut forest for university studies.
Murkomen was giving his speech during the groundbreaking ceremony at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega County.
The CS explained the difference between him and more than 30,000 graduates who were graduating is only about 18 years, saying it is not much and if a person works hard to focus on what he wants in life then he will get it.
“I was where you are 18 years ago, just where you sat I sat 18 years ago, especially for those who are graduating for the first time, so the difference between where you sat and where I stand is about 18 years, which is not a big difference,” Murkomen said.
He remembered how he had to start life outside University with hardship and difficulty while looking for some food from farmers by living far from the city center as one way to reduce the cost of living on his part.
He used the opportunity to bequeath the graduates they accept themselves as they are knowing that this is just the beginning of life.
“We got together as 4 of us and went to rent a house on Thiong’o Road in Waiyaki highway, and we made sure we went very close to the farmers where we would benefit from milk directly from them to reduce the difficulty of life – as I know many of you are going through right now.”
“…And I’m sure many of you here are thinking about what you’re going to do after this. If you really succeed in getting what you want to get, and even ask yourself the questions ‘why did I go to school now?’… but I would like to ask you to accept your circumstances, accept the fact this is the beginning, accept your poor beginning.”
“If you go to a new city and find yourself stuck renting a house, if it’s walking to work, do it without fear that you have a degree and you can’t do things like that. Go through the process, accept the situation you ‘found yourself in and know that the Bible says never to despise the poor beginnings” Murkomen said.
