Fanikiwa · The AI Community
How Simiyu Makokha, a security guard in Kibera, Nairobi, lives on KES 13,000 a month
Simiyu Makokha, 62 — Security guard in Kibera, Nairobi, raising 2 children.
Pays no rent, yet the money still disappears — leaks, not bills.
Earns: KES 13,000 per month. Housing: KES 0 — Inherited plot.
Kitchen — KES 4,960/month
| Unga (maize flour) | KES 860 |
| Rice & pasta | KES 300 |
| Sukuma/mboga (mama mboga) | KES 530 |
| Milk & tea leaves (daily chai) | KES 860 |
| Sugar | KES 260 |
| Cooking oil | KES 430 |
| Meat/omena/eggs | KES 610 |
| Bread & breakfast | KES 300 |
| Fruits | KES 160 |
| Salt | KES 30 |
| Matchbox | KES 20 |
| Spices & royco | KES 30 |
| Charcoal/kerosene | KES 570 |
Utilities — KES 840/month
| KPLC tokens (shared meter) | KES 380 |
| Water (mtungi @5-10 bob) | KES 280 |
| Garbage | KES 60 |
| Security (vigilante) | KES 120 |
Connectivity — KES 350/month
| Airtime & okoa | KES 160 |
| Data bundles | KES 190 |
Transport — KES 2,000/month
| Matatu/boda fares | KES 2,000 |
Family — KES 1,970/month
| Diapers & baby care (under-4s) | KES 1,150 |
| School fees (1 kid, public day) | KES 510 |
| Uniforms, books & school snacks | KES 120 |
| Kids clothes & shoes (mitumba cycle) | KES 190 |
Personal — KES 410/month
| Barber | KES 60 |
| Clothes & shoes (mitumba) | KES 190 |
| Toiletries & grooming | KES 160 |
Health — KES 220/month
| SHIF/NHIF | KES 220 |
Social — KES 730/month
| Church/Mosque offering & harambee | KES 160 |
| Black tax (money home) | KES 570 |
Debts
| Fuliza — overdraft | revolving | KES 4,000 |
| Shylock (local) — emergency loan | active — 20%/mo | KES 3,000 |
Left over each month: KES 1,520.
- Tap Kitchen → it accounts even the 20-bob matchbox and the salt.
- The daily chai habit is itemized: ~860/mo on milk & tea leaves alone.
Home setup: family bed + decker bed for the kids.
Saving toward: Emergency fund (3 months).
See more lives like this Now try YOURS →
A member of the Fanikiwa AI Community — 1,000 real Kenyan lives, itemized down to the matchbox. Figures are representative community data. Fanikiwa is money coaching for Kenya, Africa and beyond — not licensed financial, tax or legal advice.
More lives in Kibera, Nairobi · more Security guard lives · the 10–15k bracket