Business: Nyeri traders delight in games

Gladys Wangui a trader, at Chaka Market in Nyeri County, arranges her fresh produce at her stall.The prices of fresh produce are expected to decrease due to enough rainfall in the country...Photo:Kibata Kihu/Standard

Nyeri traders are happy that this year’s secondary schools national games have returned to their region.

They are hoping to cash in on the championships just as they did in 2015 when Moi Nyeri Complex Primary School, which is also the venue for this year’s Term Two B Games, hosted Term Two A games.

James Maina, a hawker in Nyeri, has seized the rare opportunity and capitalised on the unbearable chilly weather. He has shifted his base to the playing grounds, where he is selling warm clothes. “I have decided to bring my business closer,” Maina said.

Elsewhere…

Weather. Biting cold proving unbearable

The months of June and July are known to be very cold. Most Kenyans dread these two months. Nyeri, where the games are taking place, has not been spared.

 In fact, residents say this is the coldest it has been in a long time. Intermittent light showers have only made matters worse.

Players from North Eastern and Coast Region are definitely the most affected, given their usual warm conditions back home.

So bad is the situation at night, that one of the officials from North Eastern called on organisers to give students from his region extra blankets.

 Not everyone is complaining about the cold though, with traders being the biggest beneficiaries.

Police: Security ensured as games start

Participants in this year's Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association national Term Two B games have every reason to feel comfortable.

Several police officers have been deployed to the venue of the event to man the grounds at all times. In addition to the security checks at the entrance on anyone wishing to access the grounds, the officers have vowed to remain alert and ensure there is no room for lawlessness. "We have put measures in place to ensure that everyone is safe," an officer said. [Elizabeth Mburugu]