Tom Owino was a teacher in a private school in Embakasi East, Nairobi County before he was terminated after the government closed the learning institutions in a bid to curb Covid-19 in March 2020.
Before the lockdown, Owino who is 38 years old, hoped to one day get employed by the Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC) but his hopes have dwindled after the government locked down learning institutions.
Weeks after Owino lost his job, he came up with a plan on how he would survive and cater to the needs of his family by volunteering as a civilian traffic controller.
On good days, he can take home Ksh 400 to Ksh 500 but at times he takes home as low as Ksh 100.
Owino stumbled into the trade when one day as he strolled around his neighborhood he decided to control traffic that was caused by motorists trying to cross the road.
“I thought of doing a myriad of things to help my family but I did not settle on one at first because I was undecided. I was just strolling one evening along Fedha Road, opposite KAG Church when I realized that the jam along that route was being caused by people trying to cross from the nearby supermarket and those using Outer Ring Road and Tel Aviv,” Owino said
The next day, the graduate from Shanzu Teachers Training College in Mombasa ventured into being a traffic controller and started controlling traffic at the junction located at Fedha Road and Tel Aviv.
“I had worked for some days without being given anything but I was just happy that the jam was moving with people not being delayed on the road but soon people started giving me tips as tokens of appreciation for a job well done,” he said.
Owino added that police officers in the area recognized his work and appreciated him for making their work easier.
He noted that he would only return to the teaching profession if and when the TSC employs him adding that he would continue controlling traffic.
“I am a trained teacher and this is my calling to impart knowledge to the children, I will never leave my job for anything. I am just buying time here waiting for the state to employ me,” he said.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many sectors of the economy. When the country was locked down in March 2020, most of the private school teachers were rendered jobless while the few that remained on the job went for months without been paid.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 26, 2021, issued directives suspending physical learning in Kenyan schools until further notice. The fate of private school teachers is yet again uncertain since it is not clear when learning will resume.
