A Kenyan man known as Eddie left a job in Qatar and returned to Baringo County, where he has since built two businesses and rebuilt his relationship with his family.
Eddie is a trained and certified teacher, but after graduating he found the path into employment in the profession blocked.
Eddie’s Life in Qatar
He tried his hand at sales, customer service and event management before deciding to look further afield, eventually making his way to Qatar around the time the country was hosting the FIFA World Cup.
Qatar struck him as a vibrant, opportunity-filled destination, but the reality of working in the security sector quickly proved sobering.
Eddie worked punishing shifts, received inadequate compensation for overtime, and lived in crowded labour camps alongside other migrant workers.
Personal freedom was limited, and the hours left little room for anything beyond work and sleep.
Why Eddie Chose Kenya Over Qatar
He described the experience as feeling like a zombie, going through the motions day after day with no real quality of life outside his job.
Loneliness compounded the physical toll, and over time the emotional cost of being far from home began to outweigh the financial rewards he had gone there to find.
The longer he stayed, the more he questioned whether the money was worth what he was giving up.
Eddie eventually chose to return home, motivated in large part by his desire to be present for his daughter, Jojo, and to spend more time with his mother.
Eddie’s Advice to Kenyans Abroad
He acknowledged that re-establishing himself financially in Kenya has not been without its difficulties, but he says the peace of mind and closeness to family make the trade-off worthwhile.
Roughly a year after coming back, he launched Looney Events and Looney Furniture, two ventures rooted in Marigat.
He has also built an audience through his digital content channel, Eddie Tricks Vlogs, where he documents his experiences and encourages others facing similar crossroads.
His message to young Kenyans grinding through difficult conditions abroad is direct: the opportunities back home are real, and entrepreneurship is a path worth considering.
