Families find respite by the roadside

By Winsley Masese

The Mau Summit and Total junction, on the Kericho-Nakuru road, is bubbling with traders who jostle to sell their wares to travellers.

Whenever a Nairobi-Kericho bound bus hoots from a distance, they respond swiftly.

As passengers alight, the traders form a ring around them, hands teeming with peas, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and roast maize.

The alluring aroma of roast maize and other foodstuff can be smelt from a distance.

"Mahindi choma! viazi! Cabbage….", they all shout for attention.

"Ngapi hii mahindi (how much is this roast maize)?" a passenger points to a cob of roast maize.

"Ten shillings," the trader answers as he hands the maize to the passenger.

He doesn’t pay immediately and the bus starts off slowly. The seller follows it, tapping on the window asking for his money.

A coin falls a few steps and rolls to the grass. He looks for it for a few seconds, finds it and puts it in his wallet.

Before the seller can catch a breath, a private car stops by the roadside. Like a dozen others, he makes a mad dash for the car.

The Kericho-Nakuru road is teeming with traders hawking vegetables and cereals. Photos: Winsley Masese

"I started selling potatoes and cabbages at Kinungi and moved to Mau Summit this year," Mwangi says.

His returns today are few. He is worried competition has increased.

Displaced people from the Londiani, Kanunga and Total have joined the business to make ends meet. A few steps away, Josephine Misente Mokua, from Nyamira, holds on to her peas and cabbages.

Before the post-election violence, she owned a five-acre farm in Molo but was dispossessed during the chaos. She fled to the camp where she operates.

"I lost property but that does not give me leeway to idle around. We have to make the best out of the freedom we have now to do this business," she says.

Mwangi says the displaced people cannot rely on relief food from the Government and donors. His sentiments are echoed by Mrs Jane Njeri, 25, who says she is yet to get the Sh10,000 promised by the Government.

"Nevertheless, we thank God that we are in good health and can sell whatever we can on this road. Life has to start again from somewhere," she says.

Mr Nobert Muturi, 24, who sells carrots at Total Junction, says life since the post violence has not been the same. " Roadside traders have increased and the competition is stiff," he says.

Muturi’s wife roasts maize under a tree while he operates from a tent made of polythene papers. From here, he dashes from one vehicle to another. Mrs Virginia Buasyo, who hails from Kakamega, says she joined the business after she lost all her crops during the violence.

Mwangi says Fridays and weekends are good days since many people travel home or to other destinations.

Another trader, Joseph Muturi, is stuffing a note in his pocket. He has been a roadside seller for the last five years.

On a good day, he makes Sh500.

Muturi says doing business with passengers is better compared to residents.

He says passengers have little time to haggle over prices.

Many traders get their products from Kinungi, Burnt Forest, Molo, and Londiani. The business has its underside too. Sometimes passengers take off without paying. Because of this, the traders prefer personal cars to public service vehicles.

"A motorist can park the car, buy enough and depart at his own pleasure," says Jane Njeri, who sells peas.

"The other problem is accidents. During the rush to sell, some traders have been knocked down," says Muturi.

The traders say they have formed some merry-go rounds to pool resources.

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