16/03/2026
Abraham Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs usually starts with basic survival stuff at the bottom and climbing up to self-actualization at the top.
But here in Kenya? Our version has a bit of a remix š
š°šŖ Let's break it down:
1. Physiological Needs
(The basics: food, water, air, shelter)
In Kenya: A solid plate of ugali, reliable Wi-Fi, and enough tokens za stima to keep the lights on. Without these, nothing else matters.
2. Safety Needs
(Security, stability, a safe place to live)
In Kenya it looks like:
Rent paid on time (or at least not too far behind)
Floods have calmed down a little this season
Your landlord hits you with ānitakuja next weekā instead of the scary ānakuja leoā threat š
3. Love & Belonging
(Friends, family, feeling connected)
Kenyan edition:
Your WhatsApp group is buzzing non-stop
Someone drops a genuine ātuko pamojaā in the chat
Your chama is still standing strongāno one has run away with the savings!
4. Esteem Needs
(Respect, recognition, feeling accomplished)
Here it's:
Your tweet or post finally hits 1K likes
A random comment says āThis is deep broā and you feel seen š
5. Self-Actualization
(Becoming your best self, living your full potential)
In the Kenyan reality:
You've fully accepted how life is and stopped fighting it
You've become a pro at ignoring stress
You can genuinely say āIt is wellā even when fuel prices jump again šš
A lot of folks might seem totally fine from the outsideālaughing, posting, vibingābut their whole pyramid could be wobbling right at the base. Rent overdue, food prices crazy, floods, endless bills⦠it hits hard.
So let's be gentle with each other. We're all just trying to climb our own shaky version of this pyramid, one day at a time. š§ š