- Traders in Kisii County are reporting booming business as hundreds of students and visitors attend the Kenya Music Festival and County Secondary Schools Games.
- Vendors, boda boda riders, restaurants and accommodation providers say sales have risen sharply since the events began.
- Education officials have also introduced alternative traffic routes to ease congestion caused by increased movement of school buses and visitors
Small-scale traders in Kisii Town, Daraja Mbili, Nyakoe, Mosocho and Gesaonso are reporting a sharp rise in sales this week, driven by the influx of students and visitors attending two major inter-secondary school events.
The Kenya Music Festival and the County Secondary Schools Games are being hosted at Nyabururu Girls National School and Cardinal Otunga Mosocho National School respectively.
At Nyabururu Girls National School, more than 70 schools converged to compete for slots at the regional music festival.
Performers, teachers and parents filled the school compound and spilled into the surrounding town centre. The finalists for the regional competition are expected to be announced on Saturday.
The large number of learners and accompanying adults created ready markets for food vendors, hawkers and kiosk operators around the venues.
Traders say business has been unusually brisk since the events began.
Mary Kerubo, a vendor selling snacks near Nyabururu Girls, said her daily earnings had increased significantly because of the large student population.
“The population of teenagers from schools made me sell ten times more. Before, I would make about KSh300 a day. Now I am making up to KSh3,000,” Kerubo said.
She added that she wished the events would run for a week so traders could recover more from slow business periods experienced earlier in the year.
Kerubo said her best-selling items included sweets, bananas, potato chips and groundnuts.
Other vendors reported high demand for bottled water, mandazi, boiled eggs, roasted maize and soft drinks.
Some operators near Cardinal Otunga Mosocho National School also reported increased sales of writing materials, phone credit and school supplies.
Boda boda riders, restaurants and accommodation providers in Daraja Mbili and Mosocho also reported increased activity as teams moved between venues and parents travelled to support their children.
The movement of school buses transporting students from Kenyenya, Nyamache, Keumbu, Etago and Magena led to heavy congestion in Kisii Town.
Traffic came to a near standstill at times, with major delays reported, particularly around Mwembe Tayari junction.
Alternative routes introduced
To ease the congestion, Dr. Joyce Orioki, Principal of Nyabururu Girls National School and Chairperson of the Kisii County Secondary Schools Heads Association, advised schools to use alternative routes.
She urged buses heading to Kenyenya, Nyamache and Keumbu to use the Migori junction road through Itierio, before branching through Itibo and reconnecting at Metinkwa or Bishop Mugendi Nyakwogi Secondary School.
According to Dr. Orioki, the route would help schools avoid the Kisii Town Central Business District.
For schools using the Keumbu route to Bobaracho, she recommended travelling through the Bobaracho–Nyatato Secondary School junction before connecting to the Kisii main road and branching at Christamarine Hospital through Nyanchwa Estate to Daraja Mbili market.
She said the alternative routes would help reduce pressure on the heavily congested Mwembe–Post Office highway.
Dr. Orioki assured parents, students and visitors of their safety during the events.
She said her office remained in constant communication with security agencies to monitor developments and respond promptly to any emerging concerns.
The principal also thanked the County Director of Education’s office and school heads for their cooperation and coordination.
She expressed confidence that both the music festival and the county games would conclude successfully.
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Local traders said they hope education authorities continue rotating major events across the county, noting that such activities provide a valuable economic boost and help many households meet school fees and household expenses.
By Enock Okong’o
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