On a popular Kenyan online forum, Reddit’s r/Kenya, dozens of users recently opened up about what it feels like to go from being wealthy to being broke — and the hard lessons they learned along the way.
The discussion started when one user asked: “People who’ve gone broke after being wealthy, how did you deal with it? What changed? What would you do differently?”
The responses revealed deeply personal stories of loss, humility, and recovery, painting a vivid picture of how quickly fortunes can fade — and how resilience often grows in the ruins.
One user recalled how both of their parents lost their jobs at the same time.
“We moved from a five-bedroom house in Kileleshwa to a bedsitter in Buruburu,” the user wrote. “I was forced to transfer from an international school to a village school where teachers mocked my accent. It broke me, and I’m sure it broke my parents too.”
After years of struggle, the family eventually got back on their feet, returning to Kileleshwa. But the experience changed them forever.
“Now, I’m saving and investing wisely. The first thing I want is a house — because I know what it means not to have a proper roof over your head.”
Another user said their family’s comfortable life disappeared after the 2007/2008 post-election violence, which forced their parents to shut down their business.
A few years later, their father’s company went bankrupt.
“We had to move back to the village. Luckily, my parents had built a home there, so at least we didn’t have to worry about rent,” they said. “We turned to farming until things stabilized.”
Many contributors agreed that owning a home is the single most important protection against financial disaster.
“We had four cars, but they didn’t help when things got bad,” one wrote. “We ended up selling two and parking the others. But our biggest mistake was not building a house earlier.”
“Rent is no joke — during COVID-19, so many people realized that having a home is better than having luxury.”
Several users shared moments of total despair. One said they hit rock bottom after losing their job and savings.
“It was humbling and painful.
I discovered how alone I was,” they wrote. “I had to deposit KSh20 just to withdraw my last KSh180. Those were hard times.”
Others described the emotional toll of losing privilege — being judged, losing friends, and seeing how quickly people disappear when the money does.
“You get to know your true friends when you’re broke,” one said.
Amid the painful stories, there were also moments of humor and reflection.
One user wrote poetically that both wealth and poverty come with their own sets of challenges.
“Rich people just have better problems,” they joked. “When you go broke, you learn to let go — that’s how you solve the problem.”
While the stories were raw and emotional, most users agreed that losing wealth taught them discipline, humility, and gratitude.
“Going broke after being comfortable is painful, but it changes how you think. Once you rise again, you never want to fall the same way twice.”
The Reddit discussion has since gained hundreds of upvotes and comments, resonating with many Kenyans who have faced economic setbacks — especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and tough economic times marked by high inflation, job losses, and rising living costs.
The stories reflect not just personal hardship, but also a national reality: in Kenya’s uncertain economy, even the comfortable can fall — and resilience, not wealth, is often the greatest asset.
