A woman who worked in the US military for years chose to relocate and settle in her home country. She discussed how she made the life-changing decision and whether or not she regretted it.
The lady also highlighted some of the challenges she faced in the new country, comparing it to her former home.
Kea “Wakesho” Simmons served in the US military for more than seven years before making the daring decision to return home.
She described how she took the decision following a risky encounter with her brother James, from Bamburi in Mombasa County, whom she had met in Afghanistan years before relocating to Kenya.
“As Americans, especially African Americans, we’ve always wanted to visit the continent, often known as the homeland.
While I was talking to him and getting to know him, he was telling me all these wonderful things about Kenya, and I was like, ‘I’m going.’ He answered, ‘No, you’re not.’ I replied, ‘Yes, I am.’
So I went to buy my ticket. I approached him and said, “Hey, I bought my ticket to Kenya.” Where do we go? He could not believe it.
We came in August 2011, my first time in Kenya—and to Mombasa—and I’ve never looked back,” she cheerfully remarked.
Simmons stated that she felt a great sense of belonging while in Kenya and enjoyed engaging with other Kenyans.
“In 2019, my family tested our DNA. I knew nothing about it. My aunt received the DNA results and asked, ‘Guess what? We actually returned Kenyan.
I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ “The results showed that we were 27.7% Kenyan and from the Luo tribe,” she claimed.
One of the obstacles she mentioned was dealing with government processes, which she minimized as not being a serious concern.
She also remarked that, unlike Americans, Kenyans prefer to take their time. However, it was not a significant change for her.
“I just understand the corporate mentality; people here work slowly. “Americans move quickly, so you just have to adjust to the culture and business environment,” she explained.
Netizens raced to the comments area, where they expressed mixed but largely positive views to Simmons’ inspiring story: trvkim943: “You are Kenyan in spirit.
“We love everyone who shares our principles. Mouricewekesamunoko2839 says, “We warmly welcome her back to the motherland.”
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