Women hide in forests to avoid cunning shylocks

Three women walk beside the Nyayo tea zones at Ndumanu Village in Mathira, on their way to Mt Kenya forest on August 8, 2016 where they seek refuge in fear of being ambushed by Karatina Shylock Traders after defaulting . PHOTO;KIBATA KIHU/STANDARD

Borrowing money from shylocks has been widely accepted by Kenyans as a way of solving short-term financial problems, with a promise to repay the debts.

And with many unable to meet stringent lending conditions and high interest rates imposed by banks, many rural folks, especially women, now turn to shylocks to obtain soft loans.