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By Kimathi 
Published: 04/08/2025 

Introduction: Let’s Be Honest About Wealth 

They tell us to work hard. Wake up early. Hustle. Pray. Repeat. That’s how we’re told we’ll make it. 

But let’s be real, most of the people driving V8s in Nairobi or building estates in Kampala didn’t just “work hard.” They built their wealth by stepping on others. They stole. They exploited. They inherited stolen wealth. Or they used positions of power to grab opportunities the rest of us could only dream of. 

In East Africa, money rarely comes clean. Behind many fortunes are broken backs, underpaid hands, stolen public funds, and entire communities locked out of opportunity. 

This isn’t about jealousy. It’s about justice. 

Colonial Theft Never Left Us—It Just Changed Hands 

Our story of exploitation starts with colonization. The British in Kenya, the Germans in Tanzania, the Belgians in Rwanda—they didn’t come to teach us anything. They came to take. To loot land, minerals, and labor. 

In Kenya, over 7 million acres of prime land were snatched from locals and given to white settlers. Our grandparents were turned into squatters and forced to pay taxes to live on their own land. When independence came, instead of returning the land to the people, it was passed to a few well-connected African families. 

Fast forward to 2025, and some of the wealthiest families in Kenya and Uganda still control that land. Laikipia is filled with ranches owned by people who never tilled a field. Meanwhile, the descendants of Mau Mau fighters live in tin shacks or slums. 

The same story plays out in Rwanda, where land access is tightly controlled, or Tanzania, where massive land leases are handed to foreign investors. 

Colonialism didn’t die. It just learned to wear an African face. 

Flower Farms, Tea Estates, and the New Slavery 

Let’s go to Naivasha—beautiful lakeside town. But visit the flower farms behind the scenic views and you’ll meet women working under the sun for Ksh 180 a day. They cut roses that end up in European supermarkets while they live in cramped shacks, breathing in toxic chemicals with no medical cover. 

In Kericho, the people who pick tea, some of the finest tea in the world, earn peanuts. One big tea company recently came under fire for decades of sexual harassment and abuse of female workers. Still, the tea is exported, the company profits, and the cycle continues. 

In Tanzania’s gold mines, kids as young as 10 are lowered into narrow, unsafe tunnels for $1 a day. The gold ends up in luxury watches and wedding rings in Europe and Dubai. But the kids never make it out of poverty. Many never even make it to 18. 

Let that sink in. 

The Invisible Women in Our Homes 

You probably know her. The house girl. Or as some call her, “the help.” 

She wakes up before you do. Cooks, cleans, does the laundry, takes care of your kids, and goes to sleep after everyone else. She does all that for Ksh 7,000 a month—sometimes less. No day off. No lunch break. No contract. Sometimes, not even dignity. 

Many of these women—some just girls—come from poor rural areas. Others are trafficked across borders. And while they scrub your toilet, their own kids are raised by neighbors or left in the village to struggle. 

Some employers treat them like family. But too many treat them like property. 

Politicians: The Fastest Route to Wealth 

Let’s be brutally honest—if you want to get rich fast in East Africa, politics is your golden ticket. 

Most of our leaders enter office with modest backgrounds. Five years later, they own mansions, fleets of cars, and massive land holdings. How? 

Through tenders, kickbacks, and looted funds. 

We’ve seen it too many times. In Kenya, the KEMSA COVID-19 scandal exposed billions of stolen funds. Let’s do some quick math: how much is a billion shillings? To understand the magnitude of the theft taking place right in front of the public eye, it would take 137 years for someone spending Ksh 20,000 daily (USD 153.85) to exhaust Ksh 1 billion—assuming they spend that amount every single day without fail. Let that sink in. https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/kemsa-bosses-face-charges-over-covid-19-kits-2370600  

 In Uganda, money meant for food relief during lockdowns vanished into thin air. In Rwanda, land grabbing linked to infrastructure projects quietly benefits those in the know. 

Meanwhile, the people whose income is below the poverty threshold are told to “tighten their belts” and “pay their taxes.” 

No wonder so many young people say they want to be politicians, not to lead, but to eat. 

Foreign Investors: Welcome to Legalized Greed 

The red carpet is always rolled out for “foreign investors.” But what we don’t see are the tax holidays, cheap land leases, and labor exploitation behind the scenes. 

In Ethiopia, the famous Hawassa Industrial Park pays workers just $26 a month. In Kenya’s EPZ zones, factory workers sew clothes for big brands, working 12-hour shifts with no proper ventilation, all for less than Ksh 10,000 a month. https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/report/48976/kenya-focus-working-conditions-epz-companies  

Some Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern companies are given more protection than the local mwananchi. They’re allowed to repatriate all their profits, break union rules, and even mistreat staff—with little consequence. 

Foreign direct investment is great. But not when it feels like a new form of colonialism. 

Small Hustlers, Big Losses 

You’ve heard this story: a mama mboga or jua kali artisan gets a contract to supply goods to a big supermarket chain. She delivers faithfully. The goods are sold. But the payments never come. 

Weeks pass. Then months. Then the company collapses or claims “financial restructuring.” The supplier is left broke, in debt, or worse. 

This happened with Nakumatt, Tuskys, and even some current big chains in East Africa. It’s legal robbery, and it crushes the very people who form the backbone of our informal economy. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/amp/article/2001435405/suppliers-wise-up-after-burning-their-fingers-in-nakumatt-fiasco  

Land Hoarding: Greed in Real Estate 

Ever wondered why it’s almost impossible to buy a plot of land in Nairobi or Kampala? 

It’s because wealthy families and corrupt officials own vast tracts of land they don’t even use. They buy and sit on it, waiting for prices to skyrocket. Meanwhile, the average person can’t afford a roof over their head. 

In cities like Kigali, slums are demolished in the name of “development,” but poor families are pushed out with no alternative housing. 

Land is wealth in Africa. And it’s hoarded like gold by a few, while millions are landless and desperate. 

Education: The Rich Kid’s Shortcut 

We say education is the key to success. But let’s be honest, it’s only true if you have money. 

In public schools across Kenya and Uganda, kids share torn textbooks, sit on cracked floors, and study under trees. Teachers are overworked and underpaid. Strike threats are always looming. 

Meanwhile, children from rich families attend international schools, attend university abroad, and secure jobs through family networks. https://www.dw.com/en/kenya-unequal-access-to-the-school-system/a-15880333  

It’s not about who is smart—it’s about who can afford opportunity. 

The Youth Are Waking Up 

But change is brewing. 

From Nairobi’s #RejectFinanceBill protests to Uganda’s youth rallies under Bobi Wine, to TikTok activists in Tanzania and Rwanda, young people are calling out the rot. They’re tired of lies. Tired of being used. Tired of poverty while a few feast. 

And while governments respond with teargas, arrests, and internet shutdowns, one thing is clear: 

The silence has been broken. 

So, What Now? What Can We Actually Do? 

We can’t just complain. We must act. 

• Reclaim Land: Audit land ownership. Redistribute idle or illegally acquired land. 

• Raise Wages: No one should earn less than a living wage. Period. 

• Fix the Tax System: Stop milking the people with low income. Tax billionaires. End useless tax breaks for investors. 

• Support Small Businesses: Protect suppliers from exploitation. Create fair payment laws. 

• End Corruption: Jail real looters—not just scapegoats. 

• Fund Public Schools: Give every child, rich or poor, a fair shot. 

Most importantly, we must change the story. Stop worshiping people just because they’re rich. Ask how they got there. 

Conclusion: If Wealth Means Suffering for the People With Low Income, It’s Not Worth Celebrating 

It’s time we stopped pretending. 

When a CEO pockets millions while his factory workers go home hungry, that’s not success. It’s exploitation. 

When a politician drives through pothole-ridden roads in a Ksh 30 million car, that’s not leadership. It’s robbery. 

True wealth doesn’t come from destroying others. It comes from lifting people up, not stepping on their heads. 

Let’s build an East Africa where prosperity is shared, not stolen. 

Author: Kimathi 
Storyteller. Watchdog. Child of the soil. Fighting for the truth—one word at a time. 

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