‘Mikokotenis’ mint tycoons in city streets

By PATRICK GITHINJI

It is widely argued that businesses in Nairobi cannot blossom without mikokotenis. This is a venture that has revolutionalised trade in the capital, and brought change to thousands of people.

Indeed, this is what made Mwangi Maina, a mkokoteni entrepreneur, climb the economic ladder.

Maina claims that the poor infrastructure in the capital has made it ideal for such a businesses to thrive.

He says that inside Wakulima market, the offloading space is limited to trucks ferrying farm produce, making it hard for other types of vehicles that would otherwise compete with mikokoteni to operate.

Mkokoteni is a Swahili word for a handcart usually used to deliver fruits and vegetables to smaller traders in the city suburbs. Its pullers, it is said, are early risers as their work normally begins at 4 am.

Most of them mill around Marikiti — the main fruit and vegetables wholesale market — pitching for clients. This is a business they operate round the clock.

Before dawn, retail traders and owners of small stalls around the city flock Marikiti to buy their supplies for the day. These traders rely heavily on handcart operators to deliver their goods on time at their selling points.

"We sleep for a few hours. These trucks you are see here arrived at 12am, and we had to offload the goods and deliver to stalls," says John Kangethe, a mkokoteni operator.

Kangethe, donned in gumboots and dark blue apron, insists that without mikokoteni at Wakulima, goods would not be moving smoothly from the point of purchase to the selling venues.

"These stall-owners don’t own cars to transport cabbages, potatoes and onions. Neither can they carry the produce on their backs. That is why we are important here," says Kangethe.

Highly valued

He adds: "In Marikiti, we are more respected than outside the market there because traders know our value."

On the Kenyan roads, the handcart pullers share roads with motor vehicles because the country has no separate roads unlike in developed nations. Most of them complain of harassment by the motorists.

Kangethe’s workstation is at Wakulima Market, but sometimes he transports goods within Central Business District.

"I can also be used to deliver furniture and kitchen appliances from shops and stalls to owners, help people moving in and out," he said.

Again, if the weight and volume being moved is heavy, there may be two people pulling the cart, if the journey is downhill, a second person is needed to slow down the cart. However, Kangethe revealed that he doesn’t own a handcart. Instead, he hires one from owners.

"It is expensive to own one, so we hire one for Sh100 per day. We pay on a daily basis no matter how bad the business is," he said.

On an average day, a handcart puller makes six trips and out of these, he may earn an average of Sh400.

Business Unsual has established that the business is controlled by about 15 investors. Their carts ply various routes and are stationed at three points within the city— Ngara, Nyamakima, Riverbank and Marikiti.

To operate in these stations easily, Maina said handcarts have ‘registration numbers’.

" Handcarts operating in Nairobi are made in Gikomba. A standard handcart is made of timber, metal bars, old tyres and costs about Sh8,500. To have it in a good working condition, the builder takes two to three days to produce a single unit.

Carpenters who make handcarts don’t have formal training .

Maina cites harassment from the City Council of Nairobi askaris as the main challenge to the business.