New supermarket takes over former Stagematt space in Barnabas

By now, most residents of Nakuru are aware of a new supermarket opening in Barnabas. If not, well, that’s exactly why we’re here: to bring you the news.

Kipchimatt, a retail chain with roots in the South Rift, opened its Barnabas store less than a month ago, taking over the space formerly occupied by a long-standing Nakuru-based supermarket. The previous tenant never fully recovered after last year's Saba Saba protests, when looters stormed the store and forced it to close permanently.

Given this history, we wondered what had convinced Kipchimatt to invest in a location scarred by unrest.

"We are well aware of the risks that come with setting up shop here, but resilience is part of business. Nairobi has seen many protests and shops looted, yet businesses never abandon the city. It’s about resilience," Kipchimatt’s management told Mtaa Wangu over the phone.

According to the management, their decision followed a thorough feasibility study. While they acknowledge challenges such as high youth unemployment in the area, they also recognise its strong potential thanks to new buildings, a growing population and increasing commercial activity.

"We’ve taken extra precautions beyond just insuring the business. We are engaging with security agencies and the local community, working with the landlord to reinforce security measures, and we have hired 90% of our staff from the neighbourhood as a way of giving back," they said.

So far, they have received a positive reception from the local community, a promising sign for a location that many had written off after last year’s chaos.

And Kipchimatt isn’t stopping there. If the buzz is anything to go by, the chain may be eyeing a spot in Nakuru's CBD as part of a larger plan to expand beyond the Rift Valley region altogether.

Interestingly, while many assumed that the looting at Barnabas marked the end for Stagematt, once a major retail player that had already closed its Central Business District outlets, word on the street is that the chain has quietly re-emerged in Langalanga, a bustling working-class neighbourhood known for its steady foot traffic.

With Kipchimatt breathing new life into Barnabas and Stagematt regrouping elsewhere, Nakuru's retail scene may be on the verge of an unexpected revival.