Wairimu works as a document engineer in a construction company while Anthony run a restaurant in Doha.

Here is their story as told by WoK.

Background

Wairimu moved to Qatar in 2016 after securing a receptionist-cum-secretary job in a Kenyan recruitment agency.

She was forced to relocate to the Middle East country where she worked for nearly two years before resigning.

In an interview with Citizen Digital, Wairimu noted that she resigned due to low pay among other contributing factors.

After resigning from the job, she returned to Kenya for two months and worked on a new work visa before going back to Qatar.

“With the work visa, a company gives you the visa but they give you the freedom to work elsewhere, you don’t have to work with them. It makes you more flexible and it allows you to change jobs,” Wairimu said.

Wairimu secured the work visa and flew back to Qatar and rented a small room to stay while looking for a job.

She later landed a job as a document controller with a construction company, and she has worked with them since 2018.

Anthony Bishop

Anthony Bishop is the proprietor of Jikoni Restaurant in Doha.

The businessman relocated to Qatar and set up his restaurant business due to lack of job opportunities in Kenya.

Upon his arrival in the Gulf country, Anthony worked at an airport for a while before he was promoted to a senior role in a different department.

He later left the company that he was working with and started hustling on his own.

Anthony later interacted with his Pakistani friend who owned a restaurant but he had no clients, and they decided to partner.

“He invited me to his restaurant and while I was there, I noticed that he had no customers and I suggested we try making Kenyan foods

“He was hesitant but I suggested we for a trial, at the same time, I used social media to market the restaurant and after the first trial, the restaurant was full,” he said.

He worked with the Pakistani man for a while and moved to another restaurant before finally partnering with a friend to start Jikoni Restaurant.

The top footballer played in the Qatar Premier League until late 2005.

However, in 2004, he had been offered Ksh 800 million to change his nationality from Kenyan to Qatari but he declined.

But what would be the perks should he have changed his nationality and played for the Qatar National team?

Here is what WoK gathered about the same.

Moving to Qatar

Oliech moved to Qatar in search of greener pastures in 2003.

His move was not rosy as he had expected, he said he almost gave up while training in Qatar as he was denied chance to play.

In an interview with Jalang’o TV, Oliech said he spent three frustrating months in the country just training and not being allowed to play.

“I would run away, pack my bags and head to the airport, but the officials there would ask for an exit letter from my employer. I did not have that because I was running away. I would return to the hotel room dejected

“I have come from poverty, how can I go back? I would cry daily. I know how to play ball but they are not letting me play,” he stated.

After three months of waiting, Oliech was finally given a chance to play although under a different name.

At the time, the former Harambee Stars striker said he did not care much about the name as he only wanted to be given a chance to play.

“The bus came and took us, I got to ride with Taribo West in the bus, I was even given the tracksuit for the team. Previously I would look at them and go upstairs and watch them

“Before the game began, they called Ferahan Mesad. I did not know who it is. It is later I was told that is me. I could not even pronounce the name,” Oliech recalled.

Ksh 890 million offer

After his first football match at Al-Arabi, the team won after many looses with his contribution attracting the attention of the Qatari Football Federation.

The federation wanted Oliech to play for the Qatar National team which means that he had to change his nationality.

Oliech was offered Ksh 800 million to renounce his birth country and given one hour to make a decision on the same.

“Their national team was not doing well but they have heard there is one player called Ferhan Mesad, a top scorer and they wondered who is he and why is he not in our national team

“I was told to change my citizenship and get paid Ksh 800. They gave me an hour to make the decision. I was asked to call my family and tell them that I’m changing my nationality. Most of the people I called only looked at the money,” he said.

“Only one person, Adam Nyakundi of The Insyder, advised me, ‘Des wewe ndio uko huko, you know the life there. Make the decision that best fits what you want.’ The money was a lot, they told me don’t worry about the money. We have a lot.”

Oliech turned down the offer, but in a past interview, he stated that he regretted not signing the deal to change his nationality.

“I would say I am 50-50 because right now if I am offered that amount, I will take it but it is too late. The way I know Arab countries, it was probably a wise decision then,” he said.  

Perks

If Oliech signed the deal, he would have represented the Gulf country in the just concluded Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.

For the 2022 World Cup, FIFA paid every player Ksh 1.2 million for every day they are away from their clubs, The Athletic reported.

Oliech would also be earning good money in salaries.

According to the Qatar Stars League (QSL), the basic salary of Qatari and naturalised citizen players is Ksh 340,000 (QR 10,000) per month.

The salaries were reviewed in May 2014 to better the life of Qatar National team players.

“This decision was taken to ensure that all the players in the QSL have a decent standard of living and also encourage Qatari players to keep playing football and not to other jobs where the wages might have been higher,” chief of Competition and Football Development for the QSL, Ahmed Al-Harami said.

In an interview before his departure, the content creator noted that the trip was sponsored by betting company, OdiBets.

Mungai said he will be traveling alongside other influencers working with the betting company; promoting various campaigns.

They are also set to watch a World Cup football match on Sunday, November 27.

“We are heading to Qatar courtesy of OdiBets Kenya; we are leaving as a team, we have various influencers and winners too. It’s a lifetime experience and I’m really excited about it,” Mungai said.

Mungai also noted that she will not be flying out with her boyfriend, Director Trevor, noting that it is her first trip going solo.

“Unfortunately, this is the first trip that I’m going alone; I’m a little bit scared because every time we go somewhere together he does everything. It’s a great opportunity but unfortunately we can’t go the both of us,” she said.

Adding; “We’ve been dating for over four years, and we’ve lived together for over two years now and we’ve ever been apart; even for a single day. But I’ll definitely get him a gift.”

As earlier reported on WoK, Mungai noted that her YouTube channel generates at least Ksh 700,000 on a bad month and up to Ksh 1.5 million on a good month.

“You have to have a signature to the kind of content you intend to put out. We focus more on telling stories about the lives of the youth in the ghettos

“I also cover events and celebrities who appeal to my audience and in maintaining that, I have been able to continue creating attention towards my channel despite having uploaded very few videos,” she mentioned.

She explained that she started shooting YouTube content after dropping out of college due to lack of fees.

“I was preparing to go back for my second semester when the coronavirus pandemic struck

”Things really got bad financially for my father and, being a private student, he asked me to stay at home as he looked for funds to send me back to school,” she said.

Mungai mentioned that instead of sitting at home, she decided to move to Nairobi where she’d engage in odd jobs to make ends meet.

It was during this period when she was informed of the idea of starting a YouTube channel as she was planning to go back to the village.

“I called my boyfriend and informed him of my decision. He listened and said, ‘You shouldn’t go. I have an idea, let’s first try it out. Let’s start Mungai Eve YouTube channel then see how it goes’,” Mungai said.