From Luxury Cars to Livelihood: Why a Retired Gardener Chose Chickens Over a BMW in 2025
Chickens- to triumph over luxury. This is precisely the choice that captivated the world when Hesbon Imbweka, a retired Kenyan gardener, requested poultry over a promised BMW from the German Embassy. His decision—rooted in cultural pride, economic wisdom, and a profound connection to the land—unfolded not as a rejection of wealth, but as a powerful affirmation of sustainable values. In an age of material excess, the humble chicken emerged as an unexpected symbol of purpose, community, and forward-thinking resilience. This is why.
RETIRING GARDENER OPTS FOR CHICKEN TO START POULTRY FARM DESPITE OFFERED BMW AND BENZ BY GERMAN EMBASSY
After 34 years of dedicated service as the chief gardener at the German Embassy in Nairobi, Hesbon Imbweka retired with an unconventional and heartwarming farewell gift: chickens. In a light-hearted promise made earlier in August 2025, German Ambassador Sebastian Groth joked that Imbweka would receive “German machines”-referring to luxury vehicles such as BMWs and Mercedes-Benz cars. “One Mercedes and one BMW for every year in service,” the ambassador teased, drawing laughter and admiration from those present.The decision sparked a wave of reactions on social media-some amused by the choice to forego luxury vehicles, while others celebrated the wisdom and practicality behind it. Source: KSSNews
The German Embassy in Ghana: More Than Visa Services
While our story begins in Kenya, the German Embassy in Ghana represents a fascinating parallel in how German diplomatic missions engage with local communities. Located at No. 6, Ridge Road North Ridge in Accra, this embassy serves as a vital connection point between Germany and Ghana.
Beyond processing visa applications—the embassy hosts a German Information Centre that promotes German language, culture, and technological innovations . This cultural exchange creates relationships that often extend beyond formal diplomacy into genuine human connection, much like the bond formed between Ambassador Sebastian Groth and Gardener Imbweka in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Soul of Gardening: More Than Plants
Hesbon Imbweka’s 34 years as chief gardener at the Nairobi embassy represents a dedication that transcends employment—it embodies a profound connection to the earth that all gardeners understand. Today’s gardeners aren’t just cultivating beauty; they’re growing food security, environmental resilience, and community well-being.
His choice of chickens over luxury vehicles demonstrates this deep-seated understanding that true wealth comes from sustainable living rather than material accumulation.
Why Chickens Trumped a BMW
When offered the extraordinary gift of “one Mercedes and one BMW for every year in service” (amounting to an astonishing 34 luxury vehicles), Imbweka made what many would consider an unthinkable choice: he asked for chicks, farming supplies, and poultry equipment instead. To understand this decision is to understand the profound wisdom that comes from a life well-lived close to the earth.
The Calculation of Practicality: While luxury cars represent status, they also come with substantial ongoing costs—insurance, maintenance, fuel, and security concerns. By contrast, a well-established poultry farm can generate sustainable income with relatively low overhead.
Cultural Identity and Authenticity: Ambassador Groth recognized Imbweka’s choice as reflecting the cultural pride many Kenyan communities take in agriculture and self-sufficiency. For Imbweka, chickens weren’t a step down from luxury vehicles; they were a step deeper into his own values and heritage.
The Ethics of Gift-Selling: When Practicality Overrides Sentiment
The question of whether it’s acceptable to sell a gift—particularly one as significant as a luxury vehicle—touches on complex cultural, ethical, and practical considerations. Across most African cultures, gifts represent relationship capital rather than mere material transfer.The giving and receiving create bonds that transcend the object itself. However, practical realities sometimes make selling a gift the most rational choice.
When selling a gift might be acceptable:
After sufficient time has passed to honor the sentimental value. When the proceeds will fund a transformative opportunity such as education, business, property. When the giver’s primary concern is the recipient’s welfare rather than the specific gift.
When selling might be problematic:
Immediately after receiving the gift, which could appear ungrateful. When the gift has explicit sentimental rather than practical value. When the giver might regularly encounter the recipient and expect to see the gift in use
In an era where Western luxury items often symbolize success, Imbweka’s choice elevates indigenous values and traditional livelihoods. His request affirms that agriculture and small-scale entrepreneurship represent not just economic activities but cultural heritage worth preserving and celebrating.
Imbweka’s choice reminds us that we need not reject our heritage to participate in global conversations; indeed, the deepest wisdom often comes from grounding ourselves in what has always sustained us while thoughtfully engaging with new opportunities.
The chickens may seem a modest choice compared to BMWs, but they represent something far more valuable: a life rooted in purpose rather than prestige, community rather than consumption, and sustainable abundance rather than fleeting luxury. In making this choice, Imbweka didn’t just receive a retirement gift—he gave us all a lesson in living authentically in an increasingly complicated world.
