An open-air market trader in Kericho town is poised to join the Kericho County Assembly after being nominated by United Democratic Alliance party.
Lily Chepkemoi Sirma, a mother of five was on the list of other nominees presented to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) by her party.
When The Standard visited Sirma’s groceries spot outside the old Kericho Market building, business was at a standstill as her elated colleagues surrounded her with songs and dance.
The trader, who started her business in 1994 with a capital of Sh200 and doubles up as the market’s chairperson, could only shed tears of joy.
“I never thought that someone will one day look at me and elevate me to be more than a Mama Mboga. God’s wonders amaze me,” she said.
Sirma, who leads over 1,000 traders in the open-air market next to the Kericho town bus termini, pledged that once she formally joins the County Assembly, her main priority will be to uplift her lot.
“We work under the sun and in harsh conditions. Whenever it rains, we can’t make sales. Our children can even go to bed hungry. Therefore, my first mission will be to ensure the county government constructs a shade for them complete with sanitation facilities,” said Sirma.
The trader who comes from Kaptebeswet Village in Ainamoi Constituency added that she would also fight for the establishment of a revolving fund to rescue the traders from the hands of shylocks whom she claimed had enslaved them.
“What the traders require are places where they can borrow money at low interest allowing them to invest in their business without the fear that someone will show up and confiscate their goods and wares,” she said.
Other notable among Kericho’s UDA nominee list includes; Issac Matkeir (minority group), Benjamin (Persons with Disabilities), and Bavina Serem, a journalist with a local vernacular station.
Residents like Fanice Onguto, Naomi Chepkemoi, and Phoebe Opio termed Sirma’s nomination as an honour to traders and other hardworking entrepreneurs.
