- Fanya Mambo Kinuthia visited a trailer park in Kansas City owned by Kenyan businessman Ernest Modara, who runs several idle trucks
- Ernest Modara told Kinuthia that a truck driver in the US earns roughly $2,500 a week, equivalent to about KSh 280,000
- Kinuthia called on the Kenyan government to negotiate visa and work permit deals so qualified Kenyan drivers can fill the shortage
A Kenyan content creator based in the United States has pulled back the curtain on a lucrative opportunity sitting idle in Kansas City, revealing that truck drivers there can pocket close to KSh 1 million every month while trailers sit unused for lack of qualified operators.
Source: Facebook
Fanya Mambo Kinuthia shared the [video from a trailer park in Kansas City, where he spoke with fellow Kenyan Ernest Modara, a businessman who owns multiple long-haul trailers, including 53-foot units, many of which remain parked and unproductive.
Kinuthia asked Modara directly how much a driver takes home in a week. Modara put the figure at roughly $2,500, which he converted to approximately KSh 280,000.
How much do trailer drivers earn in a month in US?
Kinuthia did the arithmetic for his viewers, noting that even at the lower end of that weekly range, a driver could accumulate close to KSh 1 million in a single month.
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The earnings figure caught attention online, particularly among Kenyans who are familiar with the comparatively modest wages available at home.
Kinuthia was careful to frame the numbers not as exceptional but as a baseline, pointing out that the demand for drivers is consistently high across many states, not only in Kansas City.
Is there shortage of trailer drivers in US?
Despite the clear demand and the competitive pay, Modara's trailers continue to sit idle.
The obstacle, Kinuthia explained, is not a shortage of willing or capable workers in Kenya but a shortage of legal pathways for those workers to enter the United States and take up the roles.
"Our government needs to sit down and ask: how can we help Kenyan truck drivers obtain the necessary visas and work permits to come here and operate these trailers?" Kinuthia said in the video.
Are domestic jobs important?
He directed his appeal squarely at Kenyan policymakers, urging them to pursue bilateral negotiations that would open formal channels for skilled workers, particularly those in the transport sector, to access employment abroad.
He acknowledged that domestic job creation remains important but argued it should not come at the expense of opportunities that already exist overseas and are going unfilled.
Kinuthia described the situation as a diplomatic gap, one that benefits no one while qualified drivers remain at home and business owners like Modara watch their investment sit parked.
Kenyan lady working in HR in US Army
In another story, TUKO also highlighted facts about the steps Kenyans must take to enlist in the US Army, including the green card requirement, age limits and training.
The Kenyan soldier behind the advice said military service helped her pursue a career in human resources and cybersecurity, with education funded through military benefits.
Source: TUKO.co.ke