Wambui Judy Maina, a Kenyan woman living in the US, was left in tears after a house move cost her more than $800, an experience that brought the emotional weight of life abroad rushing to the surface.
Judy had been away for a month working on a private concierge case when she realised she urgently needed help with packing and relocating.
With little time to plan, she began calling moving companies, only to find herself confronted with rates that felt impossible to justify.
In a video on Facebook, she disclosed that several firms quoted her $190 (KSh 24,000) per hour, with a minimum charge of three hours.
She kept dialling, determined to find something more reasonable, and eventually came across companies offering rates of $180 (KSh 23,000) and $175 (KSh 22,000) per hour.
Even so, the relief was short-lived as the workers Judy hired ended up spending roughly six hours completing the job.
Bill That Broke Her Down
She alleged they moved at a deliberately slow pace to inflate the final charge, though that claim has not been independently verified.
By the time they were done, her bill had climbed past $800 (KSh 103,000). It was during the move itself, as her carton boxes ran out mid-packing, that the frustration became too much to contain.
“Doing things on my own in the US is difficult. I was packing when my carton boxes ran out; I felt like crying,” she said.
The experience was not simply about the money. For Judy, it laid bare a reality that many immigrants quietly live with: the absence of a support system that can make ordinary problems feel unmanageable.
What She Misses Most About Kenya
Reflecting on life back home, Judy pointed out that in Kenya, a neighbour, relative or friend can often step in for tasks that would otherwise require expensive professional help.
Sometimes, she noted, such assistance costs as little as KSh 200 per person. That kind of informal help, she said, is something she took for granted before leaving.
In the US, however, even routine chores frequently require hiring a service, turning small inconveniences into significant expenses.
“I can’t wait to be in my home country. Kupambana na hali yangu pekee yangu America is not for me. I have cried so many tears in this country,” she said.
For Judy, the bill was more than an unexpected expense. It was a reminder that what she misses most about Kenya is not simply a place, but the people who would have shown up without hesitation, and without an invoice.
