Many people around the world associate the United Kingdom (UK) with football culture, packed stadiums, roaring fans and the glamour of the Premier League. But for many Kenyans who move to the UK, especially to London, life revolves less around sport and more around work, study and reinvention.
London, one of world’s most visited cities, hosts more international students each year than the population of some small countries. Within its relentless pace, Kenyans are building new lives, marked by sacrifice and self-discovery.
Boniface Ongoi, 39, works as an information technology infrastructure technician with Network Squad in London. He arrived in the UK in May 2024 to pursue a Master’s degree in Computer Science at the University of West London, after seven years as an IT administrator at Thai Enterprise in Eldoret.
“I realised I was doing the same thing over and over,” he says. “IT is very wide, and sometimes in Kenya you don’t get exposure to many areas.”
That desire for professional growth pushed him abroad. By November 2024, while still studying, he had secured work with Network Squad.
By November 2024, while still studying, he had secured work with Network Squad. His role often places him at the centre of new university campuses, installing internet connectivity, fibre networks, CCTV systems and wireless access points. Much of his work is tied to Global Banking School, which has campuses across the UK and in Dubai.
His move itself was straightforward. He began the visa process in January 2024, received his Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, and obtained his visa within two weeks. The journey was fully self-sponsored.
Life in the UK, however, came with constraints. Student visa holders are limited to 20 working hours a week while juggling tuition fees, rent, transport and daily living costs. Many employers are also hesitant to offer permanent contracts due to visa restrictions.
Cost of living, Boniface says, depends heavily on location. “London is very expensive,” he notes. “One room can cost between Sh119,780 and Sh136,900. Outside London, you can pay the same amount for a two-bedroom house.”
The weather was another shock. “In winter, temperatures drop to zero,” he says, adding that adjusting to fast food after years of home-cooked Kenyan meals was also difficult. Maintaining social connections has proved challenging too. “Everyone is busy. Mostly we just talk on the phone.”
Still, the experience has expanded his horizons. His job takes him to different towns every few weeks—something he never experienced back home. After a year and a half, he is weighing his next steps.
“I want to gain more experience. In about three years, I’ll decide whether to stay or return to Kenya and start an IT or telecommunications firm.”
Choosing movement over routine
Where Boniface sought technical growth, Mercy Jebet was looking for a break from routine.
The 29-year-old left Kenya in 2023, first moving to Bermuda before later settling in the UK. At the time, she was working at an audit firm in Nairobi, having graduated with a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Nairobi and completed her Certified Public Accountant qualification in 2019.
“I just wanted more,” she says. “I didn’t have children or a family, and life felt like the same routine. If I had a chance to explore, why not?”
Her transition abroad was employer-supported. After securing a job offer, her visa, flights and initial accommodation were covered. Bermuda, she recalls, felt close to home—both in weather and lifestyle. But professional mobility was limited; changing audit firms required a minimum two-year commitment. That restriction pushed her to seek opportunities in the UK.
In London, she noticed a distinct difference in work culture. “Audit is still audit,” she says, “but work-life balance is much better. You work your hours, and overtime isn’t excessive.”
Professional boundaries are respected, emails are answered promptly, and rest is prioritised.
London’s high cost of living remains a challenge, particularly rent and heating. Shared housing near the city can range from Sh128,340 to Sh188,230.
Still, with careful budgeting, Mercy manages to save.
Access to Kenyan food has been easier in the UK than in Bermuda. African shops stock flour, vegetables and even Kenyan chicken.
“The food is almost the same as at home,” she says.
Yet life abroad can feel isolating. “It’s cold, and there isn’t a strong community like back home. You spend a lot of time alone and have to find hobbies,” she admits.
Every December, Mercy travels back to Kenya. “I don’t know what I’d do during the festive season away from home. When you go back, you feel like you belong.”
While she hopes to return permanently one day, it won’t be soon. “Maybe in seven years or more,” she says. “Life changes, but I’ll definitely come back.”
Her Kenyan social circle abroad is largely built through church, friends and WhatsApp groups. Forming close friendships with locals, she adds, is harder since many already have established families and routines.
Following faith and frequency
Not far from London’s financial districts, Brian Kiprop, 25, is charting a different course—one shaped by storytelling, faith and radio.
He arrived in the UK in October 2024 to pursue a Master’s degree in Media and Communication Industries at the University of East London. The decision was not immediate.
“There was peer pressure, everyone flying abroad,” he recalls. “At first, I resisted.”
But in 2024, he committed to the idea. After encouragement from his mother and a last-minute online search, he found the exact course he wanted. Within a week, his application was accepted. The move was self-sponsored.
Brian’s academic path had initially leaned toward engineering. He studied telecommunications at Kabarak University, a demanding course that exposed him to the technical backbone of communication systems. Yet his love for media began much earlier.
As a child, he was endlessly curious, especially about radio. His father’s Sony radio, permanently tuned to Classic 100, sparked his imagination. “I used to ask who was speaking inside it,” he laughs. That curiosity never faded.
His schooling took him across the country—from Nandi County to Kabarak and later St Peter’s Mumias Boys High School. During his attachment at the Nakuru County Government, he worked as an IT systems administrator in the governor’s office. He later sold electronics at Joystick Computers, managed family businesses and learned hands-on laptop repair. Those experiences helped him save for his move.
In London, Brian excelled academically. His dissertation, Radio Without Borders, earned a distinction and explored how Kenyan youth at home and in the diaspora could be connected through a shared radio platform.
Today, he hosts a segment on a UK community radio station. “I love it,” he says.
The visa process, aside from a frantic dash back to Nakuru after forgetting his passport on appointment day, was smooth. Life in London, however, brought financial reality. His university accommodation cost Sh143,700 per month, pushing total monthly expenses to about Sh188,200.
He warns students against cheap accommodation far from campus. “Some live in caravans paying about Sh68,500. It sounds good until winter hits—then it’s cold, unsafe and expensive in terms of transport.”
On survival, his advice is simple: earn in pounds, cook at home and avoid constant currency conversion.
Beyond studies, Brian has immersed himself in the city, visiting landmarks, travelling across London and even attending meetings in the UK Parliament. Finding work took persistence. He eventually secured warehouse jobs while nurturing his radio passion.
Yet for Brian, the journey is already turning homeward. “Purpose brings me back,” he says. He plans to return to Kenya and work in radio, curating a Sunday programme rooted in faith. “I want people to wake up and hear the word of God.”
For him, going abroad was never an escape, only a step toward clarity. “I’ve been here,” he says, “and now I’m thinking of going home.”
