Working Remote from Nairobi: The Reality

Remote work sounds glamorous until you're debugging code during a 6-hour power outage.

The Setup

• Laptop: ThinkPad (battery lasts 8 hours)
• Internet: Safaricom fiber (mostly reliable)
• Backup: Airtel 4G router
• Power: Invested in a UPS after one too many crashes

The Challenges

Power Cuts: Weekly occurrence. UPS keeps me running for 2-3 hours.

Internet Issues: Fiber goes down during heavy rain. 4G backup saves me.

Isolation: Working alone gets lonely. Coffee shops help, but cost money.

Distraction: Home has many. Discipline matters.

The Advantages

Flexibility: Work when I'm productive. Sometimes that's 6 AM. Sometimes 10 PM.

No Commute: Nairobi traffic is brutal. Working from home saves 2-3 hours daily.

Lower Costs: No office rent. No fuel. No eating out.

The Reality

Remote work is great if you have infrastructure. In Kenya, that means planning for power cuts, internet failures, and unexpected challenges.

But I wouldn't trade it for a commute.