Last minute back to school shopping for Kenyan parents

Parents selecting second hand text books at one of the streets in Nakuru town on January 2, 2017  [PHOTO:KIPSANG JOSEPH/Standard]

It is rush against time as parents in Nakuru flock shops to buy books, uniforms and stationery in preparation for opening of schools tomorrow.

Hundreds of parents moved from one shop to another looking for necessary items for their children after a long a Christmas holiday.

While some of the parents had done shopping for their children while on holiday, others waited for the last minute and are forced to dig deeper into their pockets given that the prices of most commodities have gone up.

Speaking to The Standard, Shadrack Ochieng’ who is a parent said life is becoming hard with the increase in prices for learning materials, forcing parents to choose other alternatives.

Ochieng said parents have opted for second hand books sold in the streets as new books were expensive.

A single new book according to him goes for Sh500 in most bookshops while in the streets one would buy two or even more with the same amount of money.

"Life is hard, the price of most learning materials have gone up, that is why we prefer second hand books as with sh500 one would get several instead of a single brand new," he said.

Another buyer and a parent Wycliffe Nyabende said he likes buying second hand books which he described as cheap.

"I like buying second hand books, they are cheap, the writings in them are also similar with the new ones," said Nyabende.

Andrew Kichana, dealer in the sale of second hand books said his reaping time had come. The number of customers visiting his premise he said had rose compared to Christmas holidays.

Kichana who has been in the business for 16 years said he has helped many parents and students as they could acquire books at low prices.

"Parents whose children have completed one level and joining another bring me their children's books and I exchange them at a fee for books to their next level," he said.

He also buys books from parents whose children have completed schooling.

Sandra Jerop Chelang'aa, a form three student from Alliance Girls High School had pity on the parents and called on students to ask for commodities their parents would afford.

"The prices of commodities are high and should be reduced, students on the other hand shouldn't ask what parents can't afford," she said.

Matatu operators are not excluded either as they ferry students and teachers to school. It was revealed that bus fares to most parts of the country from Nakuru have been increased.

Parents are now calling on the Cabinet Minister Ministry of Education to streamline the issue of fees as some schools are charging more than what is expected despite directives and guidelines by the Ministry.