Citizens Report recently had an interesting conversation with a friend on how the job market is flooded because of the qualifications required for a particular role. The answer he gave was considered absurd by many. He said, ‘uzuri kuuza samaki hautaulizwa mambo mingi.’
As weird as it may sound fish business brings in a lot of profit.
For a long time Kenyans have always thought that starting fish business belongs to people of Kisumu only, they shunned the business completely. It has reached a time where every business oriented human being in Kenya is shifting his energy to operating food business, especially fish business.
There are a number of Nairobi residents who have Doctors’ instructions restricting them from eating red meat. They have resorted to eating fish and chicken because there are not associated with cancer and related ailments. The large number of this class of people has pushed the demand for fish to the ceiling.
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Fish business is booming in Nairobi and whoever started the business earlier is cashing in enough money to finance his projects. It’s not a secret anymore Kisumu has literary migrated to Nairobi. There are a number of business people who have joined the veterans in Nairobi in conducting the business.
In Nairobi, the fish market is readily available. Fish is expensive. However, that does not hinder people from buying fish. Setting up a stall at City Market is advisable. The unavailability of a stall should not scare you because you can opt to rent a place.
There are areas in Nairobi where people generally don’t like eating fish but most estates are ideal for the business. According to our research, the areas which are ideal for fish business include Kayole, Kibera, Langata, Embakasi, Westlands, Rongai, Ruiru, Donholm, Kawangware and Ngara.
The business is also ideal in Nairobi city Centre, especially city market and Muthurwa market
The capital required to start fish business is not as high as most people think. Once you get a fridge of say Ksh.20,000, you only require Ksh.10,000 to start operating your business, but if you need a room/stall in Nairobi, you would require Ksh.50,000 to start the business besides a fridge.
You don’t need to travel to Kisumu to source for fish because they are readily available in Muthurwa market or City Market.
If you keep a clear track of your sales, you will notice that you can make Ksh.3,000 per day. This amount doubles during weekends and holidays.
Most business persons we have spoken with indicate that in a good day they make up to Ksh.3,000 but the profit goes up significantly during holidays and weekends.
Those who operate in Nairobi town centre make up to Ksh.7,000 per day, which guarantees one comfortable life in Nairobi.
Compared to other businesses like hawking and general shop, this is surely a good business to do in Nairobi that could guarantee you decent profit
The fish business might seem inferior. It is your creativity that will help you maneuver depending on the location you choose. You are not bounded to sell raw fish only. You will note that other sellers are cutting the fish into pieces, frying the pieces, and selling the pieces. In this situation, it means that the seller knows what his/her market desires.
When I first read the story of the fishmonger who has managed to build a 3 million home from that business, I was hooked.
Not every day, you read stories of people who have risen above the shackles of poverty to claim a seat in the millionaires club.
Born in Siaya County, from a humble background and a family of four, Cynthia Adhiambo Juma had no other option but to drop out of school in form two.
“My family was not well-off. So we always struggled. At form two, we could not sustain it. I then dropped out to think of how to get out of that kind of poverty. I’m the first born in a family of two girls and two boys. You can now imagine of the responsibilities which surround some first borns,” said Cynthia Adhiambo.
Without a good education, she had no choice but to accept an invitation to work in Nairobi even if it meant doing casual jobs.
She says that she could not afford to be choosy and took up any job that came by. This saw her work at several mjengo businesses in 2010 for about a year.
“It’s never an easy job for any woman, being pushed on and lifting concretes,” she narrates.
In 2011, knowing how she was struggling, her mother referred her to someone she knew in Mombasa who owned a fish business.
Cynthia packed her bags and moved to Mombasa. Her job was to fry and sell fish earning 200 shillings a day.
Though her pay was little, she was determined to make it in life and set a good example for her siblings and it saw her start saving the little she was getting.
“I worked hard while studying how things are done with a view of opening my small shop-for the same business,” she says, adding that, “I saved some coins and opened my own shop-though small in size, in 2012.”
Fast forward to today, after moving to Mombasa, her life has transformed and she is now an inspiration to many that you don’t have to have a big job to make it in life. She is a school dropout but her life has transformed in a major way.
She has expanded that small shop she opened with the little savings to a fish business that supplies major hotels in the coastal region.
“I’m now happy to be my own boss. I have successfully expanded the business in all fronts. I supply fish to various hotels and clubs in the city,” she said.
Some of the big hotels that she supplies fish to in Mombasa include, Masai Resort and Kenya Ports Authority.
“At one point, I was a mtu wa mkono at construction sites, but because of my fish business, I have built my parents a Sh.3 million home in Busia,” she said. “Technically, I’m a millionaire,” she quips.
Cynthia is a true definition of what hard work and determination can do. Are you still looking for a job or a purpose in life? You can learn a thing or two about success from her.
