Former KTF Chairperson Recalls How a Misdirected Job Application Changed His Career

Former Kenya Tourism Federation Chairperson Mohammed Hersi has recalled how a bank clerk job application in 1987 unexpectedly set him on a career path in hospitality and tourism.

In a statement dated August 15, Hersi said he had casually applied for a bank clerk position at KCB Marsabit but ended up being interviewed in Nairobi and later posted to Mandera.

“my letter landed instead at KCB Nairobi, and before long I found myself walking into KCB Industrial Area for an interview, surrounded by a room full of other hopeful applicants, all of us in our best borrowed confidence,” read part of the statement.

Mohammed Hersi Recalls Long Journey That Changed His Perspective of Kenya

He recalled attending the interview on July 3, 1987, noting that he did not own a blazer at the time and had to borrow one from an older cousin.

Mohammed Hersi noted that although he had been instructed to report to Mandera as a bank clerk, he had never visited the town or lived in the region. 

Also Read: Tourism Sector Slams Gachagua Over Call for Tourists, Investors to Avoid Kenya

He said the journey to Mandera took two days by bus, with the trip passing through several towns and trading centres. Before setting off, he spent the night at a lodging in Eastleigh. 

Additionally, Mohammed Hersi  said the journey gave him a new perspective on the size and diversity of Kenya as his upbringing had largely been centred around towns and schools in the former Eastern Province

“Somewhere along those long, dusty stretches, it hit me properly for the first time just how vast Kenya really is,” he said.

His Decision to Leave KCB Changed His Career 

Hersi spent 18 months working as a bank clerk in Mandera before making a decision that would change the direction of his career. 

He left the security of permanent employment and joined Utalii College to study hospitality and tourism.

However, Hersi said the decision was difficult because he was entering a field he knew little about and had only been admitted to the college on his second attempt.

Also Read: Tourism Regulatory Authority Issues Advisory to Tourists Ahead of Peak Tourism Season

He recalled that at the time, the only hotel he knew by name was the Hilton Nairobi, which he had never visited but recognised because of its prominent building in Nairobi.

Hersi said his decision to leave banking and pursue hospitality ultimately placed him on a career path that he has followed for more than three decades. 

Looking back, he described the journey as beginning with an application that did not end up where he expected, a borrowed blazer and a long bus trip across Kenya.

“That decision set me on the path into hospitality and tourism, a path I have walked for over three decades since,” Hersi said.

He described the experience as a reminder of how unexpected opportunities and difficult decisions can shape a person’s future.

Hersi served as chairperson of the Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) for two terms until July 2021. 

Follow our WhatsApp channel for instant news updates.

A photo of Mohammed Hersi , former chairperson of Kenya Tourism Federation. Photo/ Mohammed Hersi