A middle-aged street vendor from Mombasa City is all smiles after earning profits amounting to thousands of shillings during this year’s Mombasa Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) International Show. Vendors selling fast food were the biggest beneficiaries of the Mombasa ASK show. Photos: Yvonne Sasha Source: Original Jared Mogaka, a father of five, has been selling eggs on the streets for seven years, despite being a qualified teacher by profession. Why teacher turned to hawking eggs in Mombasa Mogaka, who trained as a professional teacher at Nakuru Teachers College, found himself self-employed as an egg vendor after struggling to secure a teaching position.
He recounts how his life changed when he welcomed his first daughter while he was unemployed and still searching for a teaching job at any primary school. He expressed the hardships he faced in providing for his small family, as his wife contemplated leaving home in search of better opportunities. Out of love for his wife, he decided to start his own egg-selling business with an initial capital of KSh 2,000. “I did not want to lose my wife; she was incredibly kind and patient, and I could not bear the thought of losing her again. At that time, she was pregnant with our daughter, who was then nine months old. I borrowed KSh 2000 from a friend and decided to start my own business,” said Mogaka. The father of five explained that with KSh 2000, he had to choose between selling sweets and biscuits or eggs, and he opted for the egg business.
He stated that after years of experience as an egg vendor, he has no desire to be employed, as his business yields more profit than a teaching position. “On regular days, I can earn a profit of KSh 3000 daily if I sell 100 eggs at KSh 30 each, totalling KSh 21,000 weekly. It simply requires commitment and self-discipline to be a hawker,” he remarked. How street vendors made huge profits during Mombasa show The vendor shared with TUKO.co.ke that during the Mombasa ASK Show, which concluded on Sunday, September 7, he generated significant profits for his business. He noted that learners attending the show were his regular customers, ensuring that his kids would not be sent out of school. At the show, one egg was priced at KSh 50, which is higher than the usual price of KSh 30 per egg that he typically sells. The businessman claimed that he used to earn a daily profit of KSh 5,000 from selling 100 eggs.
“I am pleased that the students attended the show in large numbers. They significantly boosted my business, and I feel proud as a father now. Although the costs were quite high for us to operate here, I can confidently say it was worth the expense,” said Mogaka. Street vendors made huge profits from the ASK show. Photo: Yvonne Sasha. Source: Original Another street vendor, Tony Omondi, popularly known as Omosh, who sells ice cream, shared how he benefited from the Mombasa Show. Omosh noted that with the intense heat in Mombasa, no one can resist purchasing an ice cream or cold water to cool off. “With this Mombasa sun, children buy a lot of ice cream. It brings me joy to return home without any leftover ice cream because the profits are substantial,” he stated. He also noted that starting a small business does not require a significant amount of capital, thus encouraging young people to employ themselves instead of claiming there are no jobs in Kenya.
Is the ice cream business in Mombasa profitable? On a good day, the street vendor said he can earn a profit of KSh 4,000 or more, depending on the quantity of ice cream produced. “The more ice cream we sell, the higher the profit; conversely, the less ice cream we sell, the lower the profit. This job requires dedication and hard work. We primarily target children,” Omosh added. The Mombasa ASK show attracted thousands of vendors, business opportunities, children, farmers, and many others.
By Yvonne Sasha, Joshua Cheloti
