Former Kenyan Teacher Compares Life in Kenya and America After Joining the US Army

Former Kenyan teacher Haroun Mukalasinga has compared his working life in Kenya with his career in the United States, describing a decade of significant personal and professional change.

A 2016 photograph shows Mukalasinga working in a classroom under Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission (TSC). A second photograph, taken in 2026, shows him serving as a soldier in the United States Army. For him, the two images represent more than a change of career and uniform; they reflect a major change in his livelihood and outlook.

Mukalasinga said he had been frustrated by the prospects available to him during his years as a teacher. “Had I stayed put in Kenya, I’d probably be stuck, a decade later, with TSC still doing the same thing, earning the same peanuts,” he wrote.

He said his salary at the time would not have been enough to afford the trainers he now wears comfortably. His comments reflected his view that limited opportunities for career progression in Kenya can leave professionals feeling unable to advance despite their efforts.

His move to the United States was followed by a series of jobs in different sectors before he joined the military. He worked in academia and held positions at Walgreens, Amazon, Uber, FedEx, Verizon, DoorDash and UnitedHealth. He described the experience of moving between industries as part of a gradual process that helped him develop resilience and adaptability.

Mukalasinga also used his experience to criticise what he sees as weaknesses in Kenya’s public systems. “Being in a country with unfunctional systems like Kenya can dim your light, suppress your potential,” he wrote.

He recalled his years as a teacher with humour, including difficult postings in remote areas and the hardship allowances associated with them. He also joked about former colleagues and girlfriends from that period.

His account has resonated with some Kenyans living abroad, who see parallels between his experience and their own decisions to seek opportunities outside the country.