Author and entrepreneur Evan Kamau Irungu recently launched his bid for Kangema constituency parliamentary seat, positioning himself as an entrepreneur focused on job creation and youth empowerment.
He says his political ambitions have been shaped by personal experiences of unemployment and economic hardship during his early years in Nairobi.
When he first arrived in Nairobi, like many others, he was in search of a better future.
Fresh from the village, the capital seemed like a land of endless possibilities.
"I arrived in Nairobi full of excitement, hope and dreams," he says. "Everything looked bigger, faster and more promising than I had imagined."
But it did not take long for reality to set in.
One of the biggest lessons he learned was that life in the city was very different from life back home.
In the village, neighbours know each other and people often look out for one another. Nairobi, however, operated by different rules.
"My biggest culture shock came when I realized that in Nairobi, nobody really cares about you. Everyone is busy chasing their own dreams," he says.
The toughest challenge during his early days was finding work. With no stable income and few connections, he spent countless days searching for employment across the city.
The experience became so frustrating that he began seeing every signboard as a potential job advertisement.
"If I saw an open gate, I would convince myself they might be looking for someone," he says. "I knocked on so many doors that I joked Nairobi knew me better than I knew it."
Many days ended in disappointment. He would leave home hopeful and return with nothing but dust on his shoes. Yet each setback strengthened his determination to keep going.
His breakthrough finally came when he secured a job at a factory that manufactured animal feeds.
The position paid Sh350 a day, a modest amount by Nairobi standards but a significant improvement from his previous earnings.
"It was not a huge amount, but to me it represented progress and a new beginning," he says.
The first paycheck helped him meet basic needs and support family members back home. More importantly, it gave him confidence that his efforts were beginning to pay off.
He now admits that the city taught him lessons that continue to guide his life today.
"It taught me that hard work and commitment are irreplaceable. Talent alone is never enough. You must remain disciplined and keep going even when nobody notices your efforts."