Market founded by hawkers thrives on mutual discipline
Ms Janet Onyango, a trader at Nyamlori Market in Kisumu . Traders at the market are vetted before they are allowed to operate a stall. JACOB OWITI
It is around 4 p.m and Janet Onyango is talking to a customer at her stall, persuading the customer to buy a pair of sandals.
Though in the end the customer does not buy the sandals, Mrs Onyango is not disappointed; she has come to accept that, in business, you win some you lose some.
Mrs Onyango is one of the traders occupying the 146 stalls at the Nyamlori market in Kisumu, located opposite Kisumu Boys’ High School. For a market that was started by hawkers and which has grown from 60 to 146 stalls in six years, Nyamlori is a case study of how businesses can prosper in the midst of an economically volatile environment. The fact that no stall in the market has ever fallen victim to vandalism, even in times of political strife, is a fact worth writing home about. How did it happen that a once bushy and insecure place was turned into a market with fully occupied and busy stalls?
Maurice Ombaka, the chairman of the Nyamlori Self-Help Group that owns the market, says the progress has much to do with the occupation of the founders of the market.
“All members of the self-help group were formerly hawkers. We had seen enough in the streets of Kisumu, so we promised each other that we couldn’t mess with the opportunity that we had been given,” says Mr Ombaka, adding that a former MP was instrumental in the allocation of the space to them.
“At the start, we were uncertain about our future because the market was situated at an area considered out-of-town and which was very insecure. Thanks to the bushiness, thieves would be on the prowl from as early as 5 p.m,” recalls Mr Ombaka.
Despite the initial challenges, the group persisted and soon they embarked on an expansion drive.
“Even if we didn’t reach the take-off stage with ease, the returns were enough to encourage us to expand. We had been allocated one side of the road and soon we started constructing stalls on the other side,” Mr Ombaka explains.
A 200-metre stretch of a road that runs through the middle of the market turned into a defence mechanism for the traders during riots.
“There is one entry and exit point. With that, it is easy to block rioters from entering the market,” notes Mr Ombaka.
A majority of Nyamlori traders have concentrated on the construction industry, stocking items that range from plumbing materials to electrical appliances.
A few stalls are dedicated to clothing, M-Pesa services and assorted foodstuff.
Customers from as far as Busia and Migori buy construction appliances from the market, which indicates a secure niche for the six-year-old market.
Business conduct
The success of the market can partly be attributed to the laws that members of the self-help group have to abide by.
Rigorous vetting is done on stall tenants to lessen the possibility of crooks on the run making the market a hideout.
There are also other laws, explains Mr Ombaka, that are meant to foster pro-business conduct among stall owners.
“At one point, a member became unruly due to over-consumption of alcohol. He would harass customers and create disturbance in the market in his drunken stupor.
“We imposed disciplinary measures on him and nowadays he is reformed,” he says.
Two of the laws caught our attention: The first is that no trader is allowed to sell wines and spirits in any stall in the market.
A second rule is that it is a punishable offence to carry out wiring without consulting a professional — to lessen chances of a fire outbreak. Much as business is the core aim of the group, matters of welfare are not left out.
According to Charles Odongo, the treasurer of the group, members come together whenever one of them is bereaved to lessen the financial strain.
“We chip in to help any one of us who is bereaved. If possible, we also pay them a visit to pay our condolences,” Mr Odongo says.
The market’s independence from the City Council of Kisumu is also worth marvel. The traders clean the market on their own and also run their toilets.
“Our dependence on the council is minimal. We pay single business permits per stall annually, and that’s just about it,” says Mr Ombaka, who adds that there are plans to turn the self-help group into a community-based organisation.
Though it experiences challenges like not-so-dependable customer traffic, Nyamlori market is an illustration of how resilience and collective discipline can boost business.
