Matatu tout by day, accounts student by night
Meet Douglas Ombachi, a father of three, takes time in between matatu trips to revise and complete assignments ahead of his daily evening class. PHOTO| NAIROBI NEWS
What you need to know:
- The 39-year-old graduated from high school in 1995 with a mean grade of a B minus at Sameta Boys High School but could not advance to college due to lack of fees.
A tout of a city matatu plying Lang’ata route has defied all odds to study and acquire a degree in Bachelor of Commerce and is in the process to studying for CPA section two.
Meet Douglas Ombachi, a father of three, takes time in between matatu trips to revise and complete assignments ahead of his daily evening class.
The 39-year-old graduated from high school in 1995 with a mean grade of a B minus at Sameta Boys High School but could not advance to college due to lack of fees.
“My father died when I was five years old and my mother, who had been a housewife, started doing menial jobs to support her five children. I had to move to my aunt’s home so that she could sponsor my primary and secondary education and so after form four I resorted to hawking shoes,” Mr Ombachi told Nairobi News.
The St Mary’s Sacco matatu conductor moved to Nairobi after years of hawking shoes in Kisii town and invested the family's savings into a second hand 14-seater vehicle.
HAWKING
“I wanted to enroll at a university in Nairobi and since hawking was not giving me money that could pay my school fees and still support my family, I decided to try the matatu business. So as to reduce my expenses I decided to become the conductor and only hired a qualified driver as at the time I was not experienced in driving,” narrated Mr Ombachi.
That was in the year 2010 and two year later, Mr Ombachi enrolled for a Bachelors in Commerce at Kisii University’s Nairobi campus.
“Since I was not making enough money that would enable me grow, I had to decide to go back to school so that I can gain skills that will assist me improve my life. Another motivation was so as to put an end to the harassment by traffic police officers as after my studies I want to look for a better job,” he said.
He mobilised family and friends in two fundraisers; one in Nairobi and the other in Kisii with a total contribution of Sh120, 000 which he used to pay for his first year.
The conductor-cum-student also got a Sh35, 000 loan from the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) during his studies.
For More, Go to Nairobi News.
