He holds degree in Science;Industrial Chemistry, but sells water

Patrick Awuonda Okumu packs water in his Migosi estate home, Kisumu. Even though he holds a degree in Chemistry, the graduate earns a living from selling water. [PHOTO: COLLINS ODUOR/STANDARD]

By Rushdie Oudia

It is around 11am as Patrick Awuonda Okumu packs water in polythene bags ready for his day’s business. Okumu, 43, who lives in Migosi estate in Kisumu, packs water in sachets and hawks them for Sh3 each at Kondele market.

Daily, he has to raise funds to buy a jerrican of water, water guard to treat the liquid and polythene papers to pack it for sale. In a day he only makes Sh200. Out of which Sh100 he saves to pay his house rent. The rest remains for his family upkeep and business sustenance.

Although this is not the kind of life Okumu envisaged as a university student, he has earned a living from it for a year since he gave up on formal employment.

“Life has pushed me to do such a business to survive and I have no alternative,” says Okumu.

He graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science at Egerton University specialising in Chemistry. Before that, Okumu attended Kerugoya Boys’ Primary School where he attained 57 Points out of the possible 72 points in 1985. Okumu later attended Marigat Secondary School from 1986 to 1989 where he did his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations and was not satisfied with what he scored.

He would later go back to Form 3 at Kakamega Boys’ High School where he sat his KCSE attaining a grade of B-, and joined Egerton University in 1993.Since then he has not been employed in any of the institutions or industries in the area he specialised.

As a young man, growing up in Kisumu County, Okumu was hopeful that his expertise in Chemistry would have him employed in one of the sugar factories that dot Nyanza region.

“I am good at Industrial Chemistry too and was hopeful that when I completed my course I would get employment,” said Okumu.

Before settling for water selling business, Okumu had done odd jobs with Non-Governmental Organisations and pharmaceuticals companies in Kisumu. Now, he hawks water in Kondele market and at the bus stations even though he claims business is low after his cooler broke down.

Staying in Kisumu, Okumu, like many other youths in the county, is optimistic that one day the collapsed industries will be revived to offer employment opportunities. Some of the collapsed industries include Kisumu Cotton Mills and Kenya Breweries.

“My area of specialisation was Chemistry and I can work very well in an industry such as Kenya Breweries and Kibos Sugar Company,” said Okumu, adding that there were many sugar factories within Nyanza that could employ graduates like him. With devolved government, opportunities have been created in the county level and many underutilised talents and skills such as Okumu’s can be tapped.