Bob Mwiti is a Kenyan IT professional who co-founded the Kenya Airlift program with famous Meru MCA Dennis Kiogora Alias DMK. Under the program, brilliant Kenyan students are sponsored to pursue master’s degrees in information technology at prestigious American universities.
He is a Tech enthusiast who also serves as the managing director of Appstec America, a technology firm.
Bob Mwiti hails from Meru County but he currently lives in America where he resides with his family and does business.
This is his story, as reported by Jambo Daily, from a poor upbringing in Meru to a wealthy position abroad.
Bob Mwiti Background
Mwiti revealed in an interview with People Daily that he was the consequence of a teenage pregnancy. He was therefore nurtured by his grandparents while his parents pursued their education.
His education began at Gikumene, a local public primary school in Meru. In 1977, he graduated first in his KCPE class.
His guardians could not afford the Sh 50, 000 school fees charged by the top Nairobi institution.
As a result, Mwiti enrolled at Nkubu High School, where he completed his KCSE and graduated with a B plain.
After high school, he attempted to join his father in the United Kingdom, but his plans were foiled when he was rejected for a Visa four times.
As a result, he enrolled in the University of Nairobi to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting, and Finance degree.
However, due to UON’s reputation at the time for student strikes, he left after only six months and enrolled at Strathmore University to pursue his studies.
Through conversations with other students, he gained awareness and began to consider studying abroad.
He worked as a teller at an Equity Bank branch in Westlands after graduating. However, he was always enticed by fantasies of greater pastures beyond.
The American Dream
Mwiti successfully applied for a Visa again in 2009 and went to the United States to pursue a master’s degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
He had made up his mind to settle in the United States, so he began looking for work even before he graduated. He even added a semester to his studies.
“As a foreign student in America, once your student visa expires, the government considers your residence to be illegal,” he noted in an interview with Bonga na Jalas.
The only thing that can save you is if you acquire a job and apply for a work visa.
His expertise as a bank teller, which is normally a function for high school graduates in the United States, did not provide him an advantage.
He worked for roughly five years before starting his own business as a tech consultant.
The Kenya Airlift Program
Bob Mwiti was issued a green card in 2016, allowing him to start his own IT company in the United States.
In 2017, he established Appstec Systems, a firm that specializes in robotic processes, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
Despite his accomplishments, he never forgot his difficulties as a foreign student in the United States.
As a result, in 2018, he co-founded the Kenya Airlift Program in collaboration with Hon. Dennis Kiogora to help Kenyan students study abroad.
It was a program designed to help exceptional Kenyan students pursue their goals of studying highly marketable IT master’s programs at select universities in the United States.
According to him, Master’s Degree programs in the United States can be highly expensive, costing more than Sh 5 million. Students’ studies, on the other hand, are sponsored by the Kenya Airlift program through loans and grants.
To be admitted to the program, candidates must score at least 550 on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). They must also have received a B plain in KCSE with a B in Math.
According to the CEO, who lives in Tampa, Florida, the program has assisted over 200 Kenyans thus far.
He received the 2021 Global Impact Award from the International Council of Educational Professionals in appreciation of his achievements.
When Bob Mwiti is not working, he enjoys learning about technology, particularly AI and machine learning. He also enjoys Formula One racing and football.
