When Robert Owiti Oduor got a D in his KCSE exams, his family celebrated. Because of his learning difficulties, which forced him to repeat grades twice in primary school and twice in secondary school, his family was convinced that he would only get an E. One of his teachers even openly stated that Robert would not amount to much in life. But, Robert knew that his true worth lay in extra-curricular activities and he pursued them with passion. Eventually, he won the green card lottery to the United States, where he now thrives as a fitness and dance instructor. He shares his story with Joseph Mboya.
I was born on August 2, 1992 and grew up both in the village and in Kisumu City. I was brought up by a single parent and faced many challenges in my life, the biggest being that I was not academically gifted while at school.
My poor performance was a source of constant friction between me and my teachers, and I remember one teacher telling my grandmother (may she rest in peace) that I would grow up to be a beggar.
My grandmother, who believed in me, calmly told the teacher that even if I did become a beggar, I would only beg from my own people and not from him.
I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams in 2007, but I performed poorly and repeated the exam the following year. I then joined Otieno Oyoo Secondary School in Kisumu County.
My struggles with academics were known to all, including teachers and classmates. However, my true love was drama and music and whenever I was on stage, I came alive. This made me very popular among my classmates.
I must also point out that not all teachers were cruel, and there were those, especially in music and drama, who encouraged me to develop my potential.
I must also point out that my family — my mother Meressa Owiti and my aunts, especially Dr Beatrice Owiti, who was a high school teacher before becoming a university don — identified with my struggles.
There was a time when we went to Meru University, where Dr Owiti works, for the National Drama Festival and she took the whole team out for lunch and snacks and treated us well all day. From there, I could feel a change in the attitude of some of my tormentors, who realised that I came from a family of important people.
But I also remember the time when we were registering for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams and some of the teachers wanted me to be registered in another school, arguing that my marks would negatively affect the school's average.
Once again, Dr Owiti came to the rescue, reading the teachers the riot act and insisting that I write my exams in my school. She won the day.
After my Form Four exams, I came to Nairobi and continued with my drama performances and soon caught the eye of officials from the Bomas of Kenya, who gave me a job as a performer. I had arrived and I knew this was my destiny.
One day, Dr Owiti asked all the family members for their personal details and helped us to apply for the Green Card lottery. After submitting my documents, I forgot all about it.
Robert Owiti Oduor runs a fitness company, Kabuda Power Fitness, in the United States.
Photo credit: Courtesy
One day I got a call from her. I remember I was in a bar having a drink with friends. She asked me to check my email and when I did the next day, I found that my application had been successful.
I was astonished. That I, the one society had written off, was now eligible to live in America! I also had what psychologists call survivor's guilt, as I began to feel that others were more deserving and should have been given the chance.
Nevertheless, I packed my bags and found myself in the US in September 2019. Finding work to make ends meet was not too difficult. But there was one demon I had to fight – excessive drinking.
Back home I had become an alcoholic, drinking the cheap beer, wine and spirits that were readily available in the shops. The situation was different in the US, where quality drinks were readily available and affordable.
So now I could drink Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels and other quality drinks at pocket-friendly prices. I quickly became an alcoholic and I remember my mother calling me and telling me that if all I was doing in the US was drinking alcohol, I should come back to Kenya and drink from there.
I had several bad episodes after drinking, including being stopped by the police three times for drink-driving. I was lucky that I never got a ticket and my licence was never suspended. But these incidents, along with some minor accidents I had been involved in, got me thinking, and I decided that enough was enough.
Reality hit me that if I continued down this road, I could end up in jail and then homeless, and I didn’t come all the way to the US to end up destitute on the streets.
Then I had a Damascus moment and decided to kick the habit. On May 4, 2022, I stopped drinking. I went cold turkey, and my desire for a better life kept me on the straight and narrow.
Robert Owiti Oduor works out at his Kabuda Power Fitness gym in the US.
Photo credit: Courtesy
There was also a time when I went for a job interview and after the medical tests, the doctor said I was fine but I needed to work on my weight. I weighed 91kg at the time, which is overweight for my height.
The doctor refused to put me on medication and told me to start exercising. After a few months, I got to the point where I asked myself, ‘What next?’
I decided to become a trainer, so I went back to college and got my certification as a fitness and nutrition instructor. I then registered my fitness company, Kabuda Power Fitness.
The registration was easy as it was not expensive. I used my little savings and some friends chipped in financially to help me register and set up my business.
My local church – Hosana Gospel Centre – gave me a studio space where I am still operating from today. I am grateful to the church for making my transition into business easier.
Even with the good fortune, some seasons can be challenging. In winter, for example, not many people come to fitness classes because fitness is not a priority for many people. Being new in the market also means that not many people know you. There is the pressure to perform.
Another challenge I have faced is that some women do not see the fitness instructor as a professional but as a potential lover. This can hurt the business if not adequately addressed.
Despite these challenges, my business is doing well and I believe that in time I will outgrow the church studio and get a bigger space.
I have seen remarkable progress in both my business and personal growth and all I can say is that the future has never been brighter.
I would like to tell anyone who is struggling in life to persevere because sooner or later the breakthrough will come.
