Students awaken a sleepy market

By Peter Obuya

Kesses in Eldoret was once a sleepy market with little activity. No one gave it a second thought, but thanks to Moi University, the market has experienced rapid growth.

Located 35 kilometres south of Eldoret town, Kesses has become the envy of many investors who are scrambling for land to put up residential houses, hostels and even offices.

As one branches off the main highway to Nairobi into what has been considered by many as the armpits of the busy village, the environment suddenly changes. The smooth tarmac leading to the place only adds to its fame.

Kesses has experienced massive expansion as the university continues to exert its impact on the lives of the locals.

The five-kilometre stretch from Kesses to the heart of the university is lined with buildings mostly rented by students and varsity employees. Not left behind are banks including National Bank of Kenya, Equity and Kenya Commercial Bank among others.

Rising demand

Some of the ‘new’ buildings in Kesses market. Availability of such housing has boosted the university’s enrolment.

However, it is the real estate developers who are calling the shots here given the high demand for houses. At a centre just outside the university famously known to locals and students as ‘Stage’, business is booming.

According to Jackson Kaudo, the chief admissions officer at the university, such investors have helped provide accommodation to students thereby increasing the institution’s enrolment.

"We have even leased the rooms at ‘Stage’ so as to give our students easy time. They would obviously find dealing with us cheaper than the owners," says Kaudo.

The students’ presence at ‘Stage’ has given it a new face and is now operating 24 hours. The fact that many students avoid cooking has given rise to many restaurants around this area.

Many middle level colleges have also been established within the precincts of the university, like African International College, which is just a stone throw away from Moi University.

There can never be any comprehensive talk about Kesses without mentioning the vegetable vendors or mama mbogas. Any university student would readily agree that life without these women would be unbearable for many.

Other businesses reaping from the student population here include entertainment joints and boda boda operators who can earn as much as Sh800 a day.

It’s only a matter of time before Kesses becomes a major urban centre in Eldoret.