07/09/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A4V8vvyMB/
EPISODE 19
Surviving Tuition Days: Tricks, Hustles, and Panya Routes
The teacher in charge of tuition fee was not that strict, so I partially attended classes. Weekends were the most tempting—some of us had nothing to do, and idleness always pushed us into sneaking out for adventure and leisure.
It was during this time that I bonded with Edwin Kabugi, famously known as Bake. He had just joined us from Nyang’ori Boys. After hearing the story of how he left his former school, I immediately knew we were birds of the same feather. One thing I admired about Kabugi was his sharpness in playing pool games, and even better—he knew how to turn that skill into money.
I still remember our visit to Chemoge Centre. Kabugi played with confidence, winning every game. My job was simple: collect the money after each victory. That partnership meant we never lacked food or drinks. In fact, I got so comfortable that I ate all my fare home during closing day, convinced that Kabugi and I could always make money on the go.
But when closing day came, things didn’t work as planned. We were broke. I even asked Costa Juma for some help, but he only had the exact fare home. That’s when Kabugi came up with another plan—stealing scrap metal. He convinced me that once sold, it would fetch us around Ksh. 200.
We carried that heavy metal on foot all the way from Kapsokwony to Kimilili, using panya routes so that no one would suspect us. To my shock, after all that struggle, we only managed to sell it at Ksh. 40. Kabugi quickly pocketed Ksh. 10 and left me with the balance. I took a matatu to Chwele, which in those days cost exactly Ksh. 30, leaving me stranded again.
When I reached Chwele, I had to think fast. My next trick was to secure free transport to Cheptais. Luckily, I spotted a Kenways minibus under Potipha Chesori—the same vehicle I normally used to go to school. I stood near Simu ya Jamii, pretending to make a call, then boldly walked up to Potipha and lied that I had just spoken to my father who was waiting for me at Cheptais with the fare. He believed me.
By the time we arrived in Cheptais, I quickly disappeared into the crowd before Potipha realized I had lied. That is how I reached home—with only 30 shillings, a bag full of tricks, and another story to tell.
