Tule Kienyeji: Is it really that tough to run a successful business in Nakuru?

The story of Harriet Akinyi, the owner of Tule Kienyeji Restaurant, has been the talk of town after she posted a video lamenting her tribulations, which she has undergone while starting out her business in Nakuru.

In true Kenyan fashion, however, Nakuru residents have come out in the past couple of days to support her business and help her get back on her feet.

Harriet’s story, however, unearthed a much bigger question on the ease of doing business in the country’s fourth city.

This was also brought to light after Mtaa Wangu covered her story, and through our social media platforms, a grim picture of what it entails to start a business in Nakuru was painted.

One of the social media users stated, “Starting a business in Nakuru can be equated to 1000 ways to die,” 
Many other comments followed the same trajectory.
David Mwangi, the Chair of the Nakuru County Tourism Association, tends to disagree with the opinion of some of these social media users. He says it is very affordable to enter into business in Nakuru, but discipline and cost control determine survival.

“Entry into business in Nakuru is affordable (rent, land lease), but operating efficiently is costly due to the low spending power of Nakuru people. If you compare with other cities, Nakuru residents are not used to high spending and paying huge bills,” he says.

David Mwangi says that you have to learn how to sail through the waves in business for you to be able to thrive.

“There are those predictable costs, for example rent, salaries, licenses, utilities, and there are those unexpected costs that come along. Therefore, if you are able to hack controlling these two, then you will be able to survive the business set up in this town,” he says.

John Kamama, Chairperson of the Chambers of Commerce, Nakuru Chapter, tends to agree with David to some extent.

“First, if you look at Nakuru, it is strategically located. This is a dream come true for anyone looking to invest or start a business. Additionally, I do not think it is a risky affair to start a business in Nakuru,” he says.

“Before starting any business, it is very important to carry out a visibility study (try to check the area’s population and access, meaning will it attract traffic), and if you are a first timer, you should start small, and as you gain experience, you should expand,” he says.

He, however, thinks the government is not doing enough to help these young upcoming entrepreneurs.
He also gives an interesting twist, citing that one might be in business; however, they do not have money in their pockets due to huge licence fees that they have to pay, making it hard for them to break even.

Ezekiel Kamau, an accountability ambassador, also calls out the devolved unit for not coming up with policies.
“Policy must be systemic, fair, and predictable, not selective and reactive. Where a single business requires executive intervention to survive, hundreds more are silently collapsing,” he says.

The Nakuru County Trade Executive, Stephen Kuria, still insists that the county government has the business community in mind, and Nakuru is still a favourable place to start and thrive in business.

“We have made it simple for those in business to acquire licences by having a unified trade license, and also we have partnered with Nakuru Box individuals who help us equip young entrepreneurs with skills as they start their business,” he notes.