How parental influence shapes career paths

In Kenya, stories of children whose careers were shaped by parental influence are diverse, ranging from teaching and law to music and entrepreneurship.

Netah Achieng, 39, a Swahili teacher at Lenana School, is one such example.

“My mother was a teacher at Karapul Primary School, Siaya, and from the beginning, she wanted me to follow in her footsteps. I actually believe she molded me into a teacher,” Netah says.

Her journey illustrates how early exposure and parental guidance can shape a child’s professional life. As a pupil at Karapul Primary herself, Netah was subjected to her mother’s mentorship from an early age.

“I would go with mum to school, and she would assign teachers to mentor me. The idea was to shape me into a subject leader, a position that had me teaching classmates whenever the teacher ran late or was absent,” she recalls.

In most subjects, especially Swahili, Netah became the subject leader in her classes.

“It’s like I started teaching at a very tender age—as early as class five,” she says. While such responsibility might appear daunting for a young child, Netah’s confidence, cultivated through the regular recitation of Swahili poems, made it manageable. She enjoyed leading and teaching, but this pleasure did not stem from a desire to follow her mother’s path.

“Personally, I wanted to focus on media studies, particularly Swahili media. I enjoyed being a subject leader and chairing debates because it gave me a chance to speak and practice public speaking in front of others. Karapul had over 2,000 students, so I had a very big audience to address,” she explains.

Although the attention and leadership thrilled her, Netah’s ambition remained elsewhere.

“I was doing it for fun, but it wasn’t like I really wanted to be a teacher,” she admits. When it came time to join college, she had her sights set on the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication. Her mother, however, remained steadfast in her belief that Netah was destined to teach.

“There was a bit of a clash there, but when I caved, mum was very happy. She said that she’d always known she would convince me,” Netah recalls.

Years later, the career choice is entirely Netah’s own, and she has no regrets.

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“I’ve owned this. I really like the fact that I’m a teacher and that I groom young boys into men. You see, when I receive these boys in Form 1, most are very young. Some don’t even know how to tie their ties and belts properly. By the end of four years, seeing them grow and develop, I feel I’ve succeeded because I focus on producing all-round students.”

For Netah, an all-round student is one who is confident, neat, demonstrates integrity, manages emotions, and interacts well with others.

“Getting A’s makes me smile, but you can’t be academically successful without emotional intelligence or life skills,” she adds. Unlike some of her friends who struggle to motivate themselves to go to work, Netah looks forward to her days at school. “The students’ energy and eagerness lift my spirits, even on tough days,” she says.

Her interpersonal teaching style is inspired by her mother. “My mum had a very good rapport with her students. Weekends would bring pupils to our house to hear stories from her. We’d do chores, cook, and eat together like a family. To date, many still come to say hello. I try to replicate that because I realise interpersonal relationships are as important as teaching,” Netah explains.

A vocation

Despite temptations to pursue more lucrative careers, teaching remains Netah’s vocation. “If it was just about money, I would do something else. Teaching is like being a nun—you can’t just wake up and quit. Learners depend on you; some love the subject only because of you.”

As form principal in charge of all Form Twos at Lenana, Netah continues to take pride in her work. She recalls her first KCSE results: “Out of nine streams, my class came second with a mean grade above the rest of the school. I was very new and didn’t expect such success. That’s when I realised this is what I’m meant to do.”

Netah holds no grudge against her mother for guiding her into teaching. “Sometimes parents see things we cannot. If you can do what they ask, just try it. Don’t resist too much,” she advises.

Emmanuel Adala, 33, a musician, similarly benefitted from early parental influence. He vividly recalls performing live on Fred Obachi Machoka’s Roga Roga show in 2023 alongside his brothers and father—a moment made more meaningful by his students performing and winning at national music festivals simultaneously.

Emmanuel’s father, a civil servant and former lead guitarist for the Maroon Commandos, introduced him to music at age five.

“My father would come home with his guitar, and I would watch him play. He also played along with cassettes from Congolese musicians like Franco Luambo Luanzo. I wanted to learn too,” Emmanuel says. Unlike his father, Emmanuel gravitated to the bass guitar. By the end of high school, he was learning chords, rhythm, and basic music theory. Later, he explored piano, violin, drums, wind instruments, and vocals.

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“Music became a major part of my life. I play and teach multiple instruments and write songs,” he notes.

Musical collaboration strengthened Emmanuel’s bond with his father. “Through music, I’ve learnt a lot about him and our musical history. It also gave me the freedom to consult him on personal matters I’d hesitate to discuss with anyone else.” Though he initially aspired to become a doctor, Emmanuel’s academic performance redirected him to music.

“I thought, ‘There is this talent I have; why not develop it?’ I also trained as a lifeguard while exploring music professionally. Meeting Mr Naboth Timbiti, a music teacher who made a living from teaching, was a turning point. He mentored me, encouraging formal music studies.”

Teaching music now brings Emmanuel satisfaction beyond financial gain. “Seeing students grow musically is fulfilling. Once you grow in something, you can’t go back—you can only go higher,” he says. Like his father, he plans to give his children freedom to choose their careers, while guiding them to appreciate music’s value.

Joy Photi is an advocate of the High Court and entrepreneur.

She is a Managing Partner at Wycliffe Nyabuto Advocates. She also leads Ongea na Lawyer, an online platform that makes it easy for people to get legal advice conveniently. A daughter to two serial entrepreneurs, starting and growing businesses is in her DNA.

“From early teens, my sister and I were involved in boardroom discussions. They asked for our opinions on business decisions, building confidence and practical skills,” Joy recalls. At 12, she and her sister started a babysitting club, eventually expanding into logistics and healthcare manufacturing.

Though entrepreneurship came naturally, her parents encouraged law.

“I admired their opinion and pursued it, though people often saw me as a business student. Law allows me to combine my entrepreneurial mindset with professional expertise,” she says. Joy focuses on commercial, property, intellectual property, technology, and estate law.

“Law is a pillar across industries. Understanding business dynamics helps me provide practical solutions beyond textbooks.”

“My mum really admired the legal profession, and she and my father encouraged me to pursue it. I’ve always carried their opinion dearly so I did it, but even in law school, I was recognised more as a business student. I was even a leader in the business club, so people would be shocked every time they found out that I was actually pursuing Law.”

Joy also applies habits learned from her parents: prayer, discipline, consistency, and balance. “They woke early to work yet always spent time with us. They demonstrated family business and partnership values, which I applied with my sister in the law firm.” While she won’t dictate her children’s careers, she plans to teach financial literacy.

“They can pursue any field, but they must make money from it.”

Victor Musinga, advocate and partner at Musinga Advocates LLP, grew up with law ingrained in him. Son of Justice Daniel Kiio Musinga, President of the Court of Appeal, and a managing partner mother, he observed their influence on clients and society. “Seeing clients benefit from quality representation motivated me to pursue advocacy.”

Victor’s parents never forced career choices. “They allowed us to choose and justified decisions together.” He enjoys helping clients succeed and simplifying complex cases. A believer in mediation, he finds fulfilment in efficiently resolving disputes. Lessons from his father—public speaking, ethical practice, and attention to detail—remain integral.

“I also learned honesty, transparency, and solution orientation,” he notes.

Respect for parental sacrifice deepened as Victor matured. “Now I understand the hard work and balance required. Sunday conversations after church remain precious.”

Of practices that he’s adopted from his parents before him, Victor cites the pocket square.

“This is on a light note, but I’ve realised that I can never leave the house without a pocket square. I think I picked it up from my dad because he always wore a pocket square.”

On a more serious note however, Victor mentions an oratory skill that his father had.

“I used to accompany my father to various speaking engagements and would admire his skills whenever he would give a speech in a function, or preach in a church. So while in university, I actively took classes in public speaking. I found it very essential to be able to articulate an idea or a position in a very calm, but at the same time, persuasive manner.”

He hopes to positively influence future children toward law by exposing them to its benefits, rather than enforcing the path.

Across these narratives, a common thread emerges: parental influence shapes but does not dictate career journeys. Netah, Emmanuel, Joy, and Victor show that guidance, mentorship, and early exposure equip children to make informed choices.

The balance between parental advice and personal ambition fosters fulfilment, resilience, and passion, enabling these professionals to thrive in their chosen paths while appreciating the foundations laid by their parents.

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