10 Boring Kenyan Jobs Quietly Paying Kshs 60k–120k While Everyone Chases Tech

Everyone wants to be a software engineer, influencer, or crypto bro. Meanwhile, the people quietly fixing Kenya’s daily crises are taking home real money with tools that fit in a boda, a Probox, or a backpack. These are not glamorous jobs. They are urgent, boring, and in demand everywhere from Lodwar to Lang’ata.

Below is a simple pattern for each: Problem → Pain → Job Fix → Why You → Rough Monthly Take‑Home.

1. Pest Control And Fumigation Tech

Problem: Bedbugs and cockroaches are a national epidemic. Estates in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, and student hostels are in a constant fight with kunguni.

Pain: People lose sleep, kids scratch themselves raw, and landlords or hotels lose tenants and guests when word spreads that a place is infested. A single day of empty rooms in a budget hotel can kill Kshs 10k or more in revenue.

Job Fix: You offer targeted fumigation for homes, bedsitters, hostels, and small hotels. A typical job goes for about Kshs 2k–5k per house or unit, more for commercial spaces that need regular contracts.

Why You: Most youth think this work is “dirty” and run to white‑collar or online dreams. That leaves a wide open lane for anyone willing to wear gloves, a mask, and overalls. Word of mouth spreads fast when you kill bedbugs for real.

Rough Monthly Income: Do 15 decent jobs a month at an average of Kshs 4k and you are already around Kshs 60k. Add a few small offices or hotels on retainer and hitting Kshs 80k–120k is realistic in busy seasons.

2. Borehole Pump Repair Fundi

Problem: Thousands of private boreholes and community wells use submersible pumps. When they fail, whole estates, farms, schools, and churches lose water overnight.

Pain: No water means no cooking, no livestock watering, no school operations. Families walk kilometres to rivers or buy expensive water from bowsers. Farmers lose crops and animals.

Job Fix: You specialise in diagnosing and fixing submersible and surface pumps, replacing impellers, checking wiring, and rescuing pumps stuck underground. A single job easily ranges from Kshs 5k–15k depending on depth and parts.

Why You: Most mechanics stick to cars and motorbikes. Plumbers fix pipes, not pumps. That leaves a shortage of techs who can handle borehole systems, especially outside big cities. Chiefs, schools, and farmers will call the one person who can turn water back on.

Rough Monthly Income: Ten fixes in a month at an average of Kshs 7k already gives you about Kshs 70k. In drought‑hit regions where pumps fail often, you can cross Kshs 100k if you build a reputation.

3. CCTV Installer And Repair Tech

Problem: Break‑ins and petty crime hit shops, chemists, M‑Pesa agents, and homes daily. Every landlord now wants “security systems installed” when putting up new apartments.

Pain: A single night robbery can wipe out Kshs 50k or more in stock for a kiosk, and tenants avoid flats with repeated theft. Business owners want evidence, deterrence, and remote viewing.

Job Fix: You install and configure small 4–8 camera systems for shops, apartments, and homes, plus fix dead cameras, faulty DVRs, and messy cabling. Labour for a basic setup can go for Kshs 5k–10k, excluding hardware.

Why You: Many electricians are busy chasing construction projects and do not specialise in CCTV. If you master one or two popular brands and simple networking, you become the go‑to person in your estate or town.

Rough Monthly Income: Twelve installations or repairs in a month at roughly Kshs 6k per job give you around Kshs 70k. A few maintenance contracts with malls or Saccos can push that towards Kshs 100k.

4. Solar Water Heater Technician

Problem: Hotels, hostels, and middle‑class homes need hot water daily, yet electricity is expensive and power cuts are frequent. Many buildings now have roof‑top solar heaters that constantly fail or leak.

Pain: Cold water leads to complaints from guests, increased power bills when electric heaters are switched on, and in schools or homes it can trigger sickness for children and the elderly.

Job Fix: You install and maintain 150–300 litre solar water heaters, fix leaks, replace booster elements, and flush systems. Labour charges per unit commonly sit between Kshs 8k and 15k depending on roof access.

Why You: Plumbers and fundis often know how to install basic tanks but ignore the solar side. If you position yourself as “the solar hot water person,” you ride on the blackout and expensive power crisis.

Rough Monthly Income: Installing or servicing about eight units a month at Kshs 10k each can put you in the Kshs 80k range, with follow‑up maintenance adding extra income.

5. Burglar Proofing And Grill Fabricator

Problem: Rising insecurity means landlords and homeowners want doors, windows, and balconies reinforced beyond standard aluminium frames.

Pain: After a robbery, families lose electronics, gas cylinders, and peace of mind. New tenants often ask whether grills and strong gates are installed before they sign a lease.

Job Fix: You weld and install window grills, steel gates, balcony railings, and shop front protectors. A full set for a small house can bring in Kshs 15k–25k in labour and fabrication margins.

Why You: Many welders focus on vehicle bodies or general metalwork. If you focus on security grills, work never really stops, especially in fast‑growing estates. One satisfied landlord often leads to an entire court or street hiring you.

Rough Monthly Income: Five decent projects at an average of Kshs 20k each put you around Kshs 100k, even before you add small repairs or extra doors.

6. Generator Servicing Technician

Problem: Power outages are now routine. Offices, petrol stations, clinics, supermarkets, and big homes rely on generators that must be serviced regularly.

Pain: When a generator fails during a blackout, fridges, freezers, and medical equipment go off. Shops lose stock worth tens of thousands in a single day. Petrol stations cannot pump. Clinics scramble.

Job Fix: You handle oil changes, filter replacements, troubleshooting start failures, and general servicing for 5–30 kVA generators. A single call‑out can pay between Kshs 3k and 8k in labour.

Why You: Ordinary mechanics understand engines but not always stationary gensets or automatic change‑over systems. If you build a list of businesses on contract, you move from emergency hustling to predictable monthly work.

Rough Monthly Income: Fifteen services at around Kshs 5k each add up to about Kshs 75k in a month, with high‑value emergency calls paying even more.

7. Roof Leak And Waterproofing Specialist

Problem: Every rainy season exposes how badly many iron‑sheet and flat concrete roofs were done. From April to December, estates report leaking ceilings and dripping bedrooms.

Pain: Water ruins ceilings, sofas, TVs, and wardrobes. Families fight mould, asthma, and constant damp smells. Landlords face hostile tenants and repair demands.

Job Fix: You inspect roofs, replace damaged sheets or tiles, apply waterproofing compounds on flat slabs, and reseal joints and gutters. Labour charges of Kshs 2k–5k per small roof, or more for large apartment blocks, are common.

Why You: Most fundis want to build new houses, not climb up to fix leaks on old ones. That gap gives you a clear emergency niche every time grey clouds roll in. Insurance assessors and property managers can become regular referral sources.

Rough Monthly Income: In a busy rainy month, sealing twenty roofs at an average of Kshs 3k can bring in about Kshs 60k. Larger estates and commercial jobs can lift this towards Kshs 80k‑plus.

8. Handpump Mechanic For Rural Water Points

Problem: Thousands of handpumps installed by government and NGOs keep villages supplied with safe water. They break down often due to constant use, worn rubbers, or broken rods.

Pain: When a community pump fails, women and children walk to rivers and ponds, increasing the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases. Schools and clinics go without clean water.

Job Fix: You specialise in repairing India Mark and Afridev pumps, replacing seals, rods, bearings, and re‑aligning systems. A single repair usually attracts Kshs 3k–6k in service fees, often paid by community groups or local NGOs.

Why You: Many young people avoid rural areas and prefer urban gigs. That leaves county water departments and NGOs scrambling for the few technicians available. If you base yourself near several schemes, you become a lifeline.

Rough Monthly Income: Twelve repairs a month at around Kshs 4k each put you near Kshs 50k. Working across clusters of villages or with aid agencies can easily push that into the 60k–70k band.

9. Mattress Cleaning And Bedbug Fumigation

Problem: Bedbugs do not just live in slums; they spread through matatus, hostels, refugee camps, and even middle‑class flats. Mattresses and sofas become their headquarters.

Pain: Families endure sleepless nights, kids wake up covered in bites, and hotels or Airbnb hosts earn bad reviews that destroy bookings. Throwing away a mattress can cost Kshs 10k–30k.

Job Fix: You provide steam cleaning, deep vacuuming, and targeted fumigation for mattresses and upholstery, charging roughly Kshs 1,500–3,000 per mattress depending on size and infestation. Hotels and hostels will pay in bulk for entire floors.

Why You: General fumigation companies treat everything, sometimes quickly, and move on. If you brand yourself as a mattress and bedbug specialist with visible before‑and‑after results, you stand out. Parents and hotel managers love that.

Rough Monthly Income: Cleaning and treating twenty‑five mattresses at an average of Kshs 2,500 each can net about Kshs 62,500 in a month, plus extra from sofas and carpets.

10. Lift And Elevator Mechanic

Problem: Kenya’s vertical boom means more malls, hospitals, county towers, and apartments with lifts. These machines break down often, especially when neglected.

Pain: A stuck lift traps people, stops shoppers, delays patients, and can shut down whole floors. Every hour of downtime costs money and reputation for building owners.

Job Fix: You handle routine servicing, lubrication, safety checks, and emergency resets for common brands like Otis or Schindler, usually in partnership with bigger companies. A single call‑out can be billed at roughly Kshs 5k–12k in labour.

Why You: Very few trained technicians are available locally, and most electricians are either scared of lifts or not certified to touch them. If you invest in a short specialised course and attach yourself to a service company, you are in a small club.

Rough Monthly Income: Ten paid call‑outs or scheduled services at around Kshs 8k each put you close to Kshs 80k, and experienced specialists can earn well above that under long‑term maintenance contracts.

The Pattern: Crisis Cash You Can Train For

Kenya’s pain points are not hidden. They show up every day as droughts, blackouts, crime, leaks, broken pumps, and infestations. The people who run toward those problems instead of away from them quietly build solid incomes while others refresh job boards.

Most of these paths need more grit than grades:

• A short TVET or apprenticeship of 1–3 months.
• Basic tools worth Kshs 20k–40k to start.
• One estate, market, or sub‑county as your launchpad.

Start small as a one‑person fundi. Collect photos and referrals. Then move into monthly maintenance contracts with estates, hotels, schools, clinics, farms, and NGOs. That is how an “overlooked” job becomes a stable Kshs 80k–120k skill instead of just another hustle.

The work is not glamorous. The money and demand are very real.