- Charity Watetu, a Kenyan living in Germany, pushed back after a social media user questioned why she was still cleaning after 17 years in Europe
- Watetu said cleaning is work she is comfortable with and has never seen it as a sign of failure or a punishment
- Her post sparked a wider conversation about the stigma attached to manual labour among Kenyans living abroad
A Kenyan woman based in Germany has fired back at critics who questioned her decision to remain in cleaning work after 17 years abroad, saying honest labour carries no shame and she owes no one an explanation.
Source: Facebook
Charity Watetu made her position clear in a Facebook post published on Thursday, October 22, 2026, after a social media user watched one of her videos and left a comment asking why she was "still doing cleaning job" after spending so many years in Europe, and whether no other opportunities existed.
Rather than take offence quietly, Watetu turned the comment into a teachable moment.
Does Watetu consider cleaning punishment or sign of failure?
She acknowledged that Germany does offer a wide range of employment, but said cleaning is the job she has chosen because it brings her comfort, happiness and satisfaction.
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"I have never considered cleaning a punishment or a sign of failure," she wrote, dismissing the notion that the length of time spent abroad should dictate what kind of work a person does.
Her most pointed lines came when she drew a sharp distinction between external perception and personal worth.
Pressure of being successful abroad
"I clean buildings, not my dignity! I remove dirt, not my value!" she wrote, adding that a job does not become shameful simply because someone else believes they are too important to do it.
She also addressed the pressure many diaspora Kenyans face to appear successful through prestigious job titles, contrasting that with her own priority: peace of mind.
"Some people are busy chasing job titles, while others are busy enjoying their peace of mind!" she wrote.
What tensions do Kenyasn living abroad need to navigate?
Watetu's post touches on a tension many Kenyans living abroad navigate quietly.
There is often an expectation back home that relocating to Europe or North America should translate into a dramatic career upgrade, and those who remain in domestic or service roles sometimes face silent or open judgement.
For Watetu, that expectation holds no weight. She was direct about not feeling any obligation to reinvent herself professionally for the benefit of people who play no role in covering her expenses.
Does Watetu need to change her job?
"I don't need to change my job to impress people who are not paying my bills!" she wrote.
Her post ended with a question she posed to her followers: "Since when did honest work become something to be ashamed of?"
The post drew attention for its unapologetic tone and the broader question it raised about how dignity is assigned, and by whom, when it comes to the kind of work people choose to do.
Kenyan woman working as watchman in Germany
In another story, TUKO also highlighted facts about a Kenyan woman in Germany who was building a retirement home in Kenya while working as a watchwoman.
She aimed to retire at 45 and had been sharing updates on the construction with her followers.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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