Jeffrey Kosgei’s surprising encounters reveal how far Kenyans have spread worldwide
By Trizer Lijondo, September 15, 2026Kenyan social entrepreneur Jeffrey Kosgei has shared his experiences of encountering fellow Kenyans in unexpected places abroad, recounting moments that reminded him of how far Kenyans have travelled and settled across the world.
In a post shared on Instagram, Kosgei opened up about his experiences in Slovakia, Scotland and the United Kingdom, saying the encounters often came when he least expected them.
Kenyans are everywhere
Kosgei recalled his visit to Bratislava, Slovakia, where he spent five days and noticed very few Black people.
“Kenyans are everywhere. I even met a Kenyan in Bratislava, Slovakia,” he said, noting that he only saw two Black people during his five-day stay in the city, one of them being Kenyan.
He explained that he was walking through downtown Bratislava with two other Black Kenyans when they came across a restaurant advertising Afro music.
Inside, they spotted a Black DJ playing popular Nigerian music. Kosgei later approached him and was surprised when the DJ recognised his Kenyan accent.
“Buda, mi pia ni Mkenya!” the DJ told him.
Kosgei identified the DJ as Kalinga, a Kenyan who had moved to Slovakia years earlier to study before pursuing a career in deejaying.
Kenyan accents creating unexpected connections
Kosgei also recalled meeting another Kenyan while in rural Scotland.
He had ordered an Uber from Prestwick Airport to his hotel when his driver, a Black man in his early fifties, asked where he was from.
Kosgei replied, “The same country you are from,” after recognising the man’s Kenyan accent.
He later learnt that the driver was a Kenyan of Somali origin who had left Kenya for Germany in the late 1980s before eventually settling in Scotland.
Kosgei said the man’s Kenyan accent remained intact more than three decades after leaving the country.
A different experience in Birmingham
His encounters continued in Birmingham, although this time under less comfortable circumstances.
Kosgei said he had travelled by train from London to Birmingham without a ticket because he assumed he could simply swipe his bank card, as he did when using London’s transport system.
“I did not know that I needed to purchase a ticket in advance,” he explained, adding that he only realised his mistake about an hour into the two-hour journey.
Through the stories, Kosgei highlighted the unexpected ways Kenyans abroad can recognise and connect with one another, even thousands of kilometres from home.