Kwale food operators feeding Mashujaa day preparations teams take home over Sh20,000 a week from Sh2100

By Agnetta Okwemba

The construction of Kwale Stadium and a state Lodge as well as tarmacking of various roads within Kwale town has brought a lot of goodies to Kwale residents and its environment with food sellers and fast food operators reaping big.

Others benefiting from the ongoing projects include hardware owners, shops, bars, saloons as well as recreational facilities in the area.

Immaculate Mwanzia a food vendor at the Stadium construction site is delighted to be part of this phase as she says that it has changed her life for the better.

Starting as a groceries’ seller, Immaculate Mwanzia would close the day with at least Kshs. 300 a day before the construction of the stadium started.

“I can’t believe because the Kibanda you are seeing I was using it to sell groceries but I left the business for food when I saw busses ferrying people from Nairobi arriving with workers here,” he said.

Holding her book of accounts while writing name of those eating from her joint happily she narrates her story to Coast Times Digital with the slogan “I started with nothing”.

Mwanzia says that she embarked on the food vending journey with her first capital goods given on loan from a local shop.

This has however paid off with a weekly amount of between Kshs 20,000-25,000 just for selling food to those working at the construction site.

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“I started as one person doing all the chores but I am now an employer to 3 people paying them around Kshs.200 daily,” said Immaculate.

What started as small startup business she jokingly says that never has she ever dreamt of being an employer like today and hopefully she wishes not to go back to groceries business.

“We wish this projects can continue so that we can continue selling food to these people. We provide food in the morning, afternoon and dinner because they work at night and during the day,” said Immaculate.

This is a similar story to Rose Kemboi a food kiosk owner who was a porridge vendor before.

Earning around Kshs. 400 by selling porridge and now gets around Kshs. 20,000 weekly, Rose appreciated the President William Ruto and Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani for allowing Mashujaa day to be celebrated in Kwale.

“We are even feeding the Kenya defense forces visiting this area since this preparation begun,” she said.

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She cited skyrocketing of food items as the only challenges they are facing as well as some workers running away without paying them even after eating.

Few meters away Fatuma Makiri is hawking juices and water at the Kwale stadium construction site saying the business is good.

“From the time this site started we have seen lot of benefits in business and it is giving us a lot of hopes,” she said.

Makiri called on the governor Fatuma Achani and president William Ruto to ensure space is set aside for hawkers and traders during and after Mashujaa day celebrations.

“Instead of having a canteen that will lock out other traders it is good we are allocated some space for us to work,” she added.

Governor Fatuma Achani said that the event preparations for the Stadium and a state lodge is helping local business traders who are providing food, hardware operators and youths, men and women working at different sites.

Urged Kwale locals to come out in large numbers in order to attend the event that is the first one in the area since independence.

She appreciated president William Ruto for choosing Kwale to host the national event which has brought a lot of goodies.