- Hotels, transport operators and traders are reporting increased business ahead of the two-day education convention.
- Accommodation facilities in Kisii and surrounding areas have filled as delegates arrive for the meeting.
- Small traders, boda boda riders and soapstone sellers are also benefiting from increased visitor spending.
For many months, Kisii town has been grappling with slow business, but the two-day Gusii Education Convention that kicks off this Thursday has turned the entire region into a beehive of economic activity.
Since Monday, the town has witnessed an unprecedented surge in bookings, transport, food sales and entertainment, with traders describing it as “December in September”.
What was planned as an education forum for teachers, parents, stakeholders and learners has turned into a full economic stimulus for Gusii.
A spot check by this writer shows that all major hotels in Kisii town are fully booked.
At Kamel Park Hotel, the manager confirmed that all rooms were booked by Tuesday morning, with clients paying in advance to secure space.
The situation is the same at Humphrey Hill House, Kisii Nwalimu Hotel, Premier Hotel and Marsh Park Hotel, which are all reporting full occupancy.
Kisii Nwalimu is preferred by teachers due to its name and proximity to the CBD, while Premier and Marsh Park are hosting parents and education officials from as far as Nairobi and Kisumu.
On the outskirts, Sameta Lodges in Sameta and Maya Holiday Resort in Ogembo have also reported full occupancy, hosting delegates who could not get space in Kisii town.
Hotel owners are now referring clients to small guest houses and Airbnbs in Nyamataro, Mwembe and Jogoo estates, with room rates shooting up by between 20 and 30 per cent.
Hotels and traders reap from influx
It is not only hotels that are smiling.
The famous Kisii soapstone industry has found a new market.
Curio shops along the Kisii-Kilgoris road and at Daraja Mbili are reporting brisk business as delegates from outside Kisii buy soapstone carvings, earrings, chessboards and branded sculptures as souvenirs to take back home.
One artisan at Tabaka said they have sold more in the last two days than they usually sell in two weeks.
The transport sector is the biggest winner.
Matatus operating on the Kisii-Ogembo, Kisii-Etago, Kisii-Nyangusu, Kisii-Sameta and Kisii-Keroka routes are ferrying parents and teachers in large numbers.
Matatu crews say they have doubled their trips, with a vehicle from Nyangusu to Kisii now making four trips a day instead of the usual two.
Boda boda riders are also cashing in.
The fare from Kisii town to the convention venues has risen by Sh50, with a ride that usually costs Sh100 now going for Sh150, and clients are paying without bargaining.
One boda boda operator at Kisii town stage said demand is high because everyone wants to move fast to secure a good seat at the convention.
Food and entertainment businesses benefit
Come evening, bars and restaurants in Kisii town are packed to capacity, with hotels turning their conference halls into dinner venues for visiting teachers who are networking after long sessions.
Local foods are also in high demand.
Roasted bananas, boiled maize, managu and matoke are selling fast in hotels that have included a Gusii cultural menu for visitors, while mama mboga sellers have doubled their stock.
The biggest testimony of this boom is Alice Moraa, a groundnut seller at Daraja Mbili market.
On a normal day, Alice makes Sh1,000 from selling roasted groundnuts to passersby.
But on Monday, she sold up to Sh7,500, and by 2pm on Tuesday, she had already sold Sh5,000 worth and her stock was finished, forcing her to call her daughter to bring more from home.
She said teachers are buying groundnuts for their children back home and she now plans to wake up at 4am on Thursday to roast more.
Samson Keraro, an economist, says such conventions should be held quarterly in Kisii.
He notes that the county government earns revenue from cess, parking fees and business permits, while small traders get direct cash.
As one trader put it, education is not just about books. When teachers meet, the whole town goes to class—business class.
READ ALSO: Kenya’s inclusive education test: Will learners with disabilities get the support they need?
The convention runs from Thursday to Friday, but its economic ripple effects started on Monday, proving that if you host people, money will follow.
By Enock Okong’o
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