Jeff Koinange, the well-known Kenyan journalist, recently shared a personal story of the tough times he faced while living in New York.
Speaking on his morning show on Hot 96 with co-host Patrick Igunza, Koinange opened up about the tough years he spent in New York, juggling three jobs just to make ends meet.
“Have you ever been broke?” Patrick Igunza asked.
“Many times, man,” Jeff Koinange, who once struggled to read news live on TV, responded candidly.
“You know, I lived in New York for several years, and that place is a tough town to live in. You have to work to pay your rent, to pay your bills, to pay everything.”
And to survive, Jeff had to take on multiple jobs.
“I had like three jobs. One from 8 to 4, another from 4 to midnight, and another from midnight to 8,” he explained.
This grueling schedule left him with only a couple of hours to sleep, squeezed in between shifts.
“The jobs were 20 minutes apart, and I would use the train to go between them. I had to time it so I did not get late and could grab a bite in between,” Jeff recalled.
Jeff Koinange before Establishing
Despite working around the clock, the pay was minimal.
“I made very little, enough to pay the rent and pay credit card bills. I worked to pay bills and support my kids,” he said.
“It was a cycle. Yet the only day off was one, and it was irregular.”
Jeff recounted some of the jobs he did.
“One job was as a receptionist, another at McDonalds where I used to serve food and worked at the drive-through. My job was to say, ‘Good evening. McDonald’s, can I help you?’”
Dispelling common misconceptions, Jeff emphasized, “People think abroad is the land of milk and honey. Bro, there is no milk and no honey. You sweat a lot.”
Jeff Koinange’s story is a powerful reminder of the perseverance and hard work required to survive in tough circumstances, even in a city as glamorous as New York. His journey from those challenging days to one of the highest paid Kenyan journalists is truly inspiring.
By Vivian K.