She had just marked her 20th birthday when we met her, but Sarah Wanjiku was anything but restful. 

We met her at her garage near Batian Hotel in Nyeri town, dressed in customary blue working overalls, black sports shoes and black cap befitting a mechanic.

Wanjiku was born in Nyeri in a family of five children. Later, she attended Temple Road Primary School before joining Riamukurwe Secondary School where she completed her studies in 2019.

It was during her childhood, she says, that she developed a liking for the automotive industry, a passion which was to shape her career path in life.

“Immediately after I completed my high school studies in 2019, I embarked on training as a mechanic, specialising in electrical wiring. It took me two years to gain the required skills,” narrates Wanjiku. Unlike other women who are often shy to take such jobs due to societal prejudice, Wanjiku says she was lucky since her family has always stood by her side, urging her to follow her heart, especially her mother.

“I no longer depend on my family financially since I started this job. I have also been able to rent my own house and cater for my personal needs,” she adds.

She narrates that the major challenge one faces in this occupation is accidental damage while repairing a customer’s vehicle. “Despite being experts in this career, we still find ourselves making some mistakes. That’s why it’s critical to keep on learning and unlearning to improve.”

Martin Ngari, who is Wanjiku’s co-worker, describes her as hardworking, at times outperforming her male colleagues. He heaps praises on her for her professionalism and high sense of discipline.  Simon Ndung’u, her boss, says:  “She is committed to work and has always yielded good results. I never get complaints from clients. When I’m not around, she handles everything well. Everyone can do this job irrespective of gender”.

Recent statistics from the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) show that the overall unemployment rate in Kenya is 12.7 per cent. Over 1 million young people enter the labour market annually after dropping out of school or completing school and not enrolling in college.

This acute shortage of job opportunities has not only pushed hundreds of young people into self-employed ventures where they can eke a living, but also forced others to take roles which, to say the least, were once viewed almost as a taboo.  Sarah Wanjiku falls in the second category.                                                                                                                       – KNA