Skip to main content

Why you should abandon your mama mboga for Wakulima Market

The scene at Wakulima Market 
 Bloody Nairobian's, why on this earth do they charge a whole 20 shillings on potatoes that  are outnumbered by my 10 fingers? However, the cost of potatoes are just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to stuff that costs more than is sane.  That makes it insane that the demand from city residents for overpriced products still remains healthy

If you do not believe that Nairobians pay more than is sanely allowed for stuff, you are welcome to visit the Wakulima Market. Here, you will be shocked by the price of items like potatoes. You may find a 2 KG of bucket of potatoes  costing between Ksh 80 to Ksh 100. Just across the wall fence, a potato throw away at Muthurwa market, the same 2 KG bucket goes for between Ksh 120 to even Ksh 160.  Meanwhile, 5 potatoes may cost ksh 20 in the nearest vegetable vendor back in the estate.

The situation isn't that bad , until you discover that a 20 Kg bucket of potatoes costs Ksh 550.

It is for this reason that I have taken to shopping at the Wakulima market. Another reason to visit the market, other than the friendly prices, is the bigger variety of produce available, such as "green" maize in the low season, and produce freshness.

Shopping at Wakulima market, however, is not for the faint hearted.

The market is located along Haile Selassie Avenue, just before the Landhies Road / Ring Road round about. If you drive, you may find parking along the streets around Wakulima House , though this may not be the safest street to park a Toyota, due to car part thefts. The area is also a preferred parking for suppliers to the market.

Another challenge to those brave enough to venture into the market is the number of people. There are many traders and a number of trucks doing supplies. This means that you end up with narrow walking passages in between the piles of produce, you may even be required to walk sideways just to fit into them.

Along the narrow paths, you will soon discover that you are probably in the wrong place - other shoppers do it in huge 90 kg sacks, which are carried by porters on their shoulders, at a fast pace. The porters will at times hiss for you to jump out of their paths, but often you only notice them when your shoulders collide, quite a painful ordeal. If you are not careful, you may even lose your balance.

Recently purchased produce at Wakulima Market, for about Ksh. 1,200
For the above reason, it is advisable to come into the market around 12 noon on Monday's to Saturdays, or between 11 am and 12 noon on Sunday. The market is closed for cleaning at 1 pm Monday to Saturdays and 12 noon on Sunday. It would be good if the market was closed at night, allowing for a longer shopping period.

Coming into the market in the last opening hour also means that you can get discounts when not buying in bulk, as traders look to make closing sales. The market still operates for a couple of hours after the gates are closed.

When shopping, be on the look out for traders who have broken down their produce into retail quantity, as they tend to offer better prices to smaller buyers. The market is mostly frequented by bulk buyers who operate grocery stores

It is also advisable to carry used polythene "paper" bags, especially from supermarkets, as this can be re-used to carry vegetables.

Also remember to dress appropriately, and not conspicuously, as you may become a target for exploitation from the sellers through higher prices and the huge number of porters, who even offer to carry empty bags for you, at a fee.

Another reason you should dress appropriately is because the market can be quite muddy, despite the cleaning , especially when it rains.

You will also find that a great number of the produce at the market comes from Uganda, such as water melons and mostly Tanzania. Around the market, you will find trailers which mostly ferry potatoes from Tanzania to satisfy Nairobi's insatiable appetite for potato chips. Tanzania also does most of other supplies during the dry season when produce from Kenya is low.

For young men, you may find a number of the ladies offering you advice on where to purchase stuff, especially when they note you are a newbie.

The porters can ferry produce from the market to a destination around the city, at an agreed fee. The market has two gates, though past opening hours, exit is only though one gate.

Some of the fresh produce bought at the market, including maize, peas, pumpkin leaves can be boiled and frozen for use over a couple of weeks.

Do you feel that Wakulima market offers better value than your mama mboga?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beers in Kenya: A sober opinion

Note: This is a dated post and has since been mostly passed by events. SAB Miller beers including Castle and Peroni are no longer widely available in Kenya after their exist. Sirville Brewery was bought out by Brew Bistro before being permanently shut in a tax dispute. Kenya is a land of milk, honey, beaches and taxes. I have penned, or is typed, a newer post here .  Peroni - One of the best beers in Kenya. Did a taste of canned and bottled Italian, and bottled Tanzanian I like the tangy flavour and body in Tanzanian Peroni. The can is close. Heineken drinkers will like the Italian one.  I have had a short beer swigging stint in my life. It has however been long enough for me to share my opinion of Kenyan beer. Interestingly, over the course of sharing such opinions with other drunkards connoisseurs,  I have found that we all have different views as to what beer is the best, which one makes you too drunk, or which one gives one free, extra hangover for every ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nairobi's Top 4 Texas Brisket Places Reviewed and Ranked

Brisket on a bed of roast vegetables with barbecue sauce at Texas Brisket, Kikuyu  This review has been updated after a number of you suggested I try the brisket at County2County.  What's the best place to have Brisket in Nairobi? What's even brisket?  Brisket is one of the toughest cuts in a cow, from around the belly. It is so tough that it has to be smoked for about 16 hours to tenderise. But that there, is the catch.  12 to 16 hours later, it is the most flavourful and softest cut you will ever have. So full of flavour and so soft you can pick it apart with your fingers.  However, due to the long cooking time involved, only a few places offer brisket in Nairobi.  The best so far is Texas Brisket which is located within Kikuyu Railway station.  They do the meat for a proper 16 hours, and will usually have a fatty or non-fatty portion. The fatty portions are more tasty. A 500 gram serving goes for KSh. 900 and a 1 KG order comes with a serving of fre...
Post a Comment
Read more

WhatsApp Solution: Sorry we were unable to restore any of your message history backup

*This method only works if you are trying to transfer WhatsApp from one phone to another, and have not deleted WhatsApp data or formatted the old phone. If you already uninstalled WhatsApp and deleted data or logged into a different number, it won't work. If you get the “Sorry we were unable to restore any of your message history backup” when trying to restore your WhatsApp messages, trying to restore again from the same backup will probably fail. The issue seems to be caused by an issue with your backup file such as if you repeatedly tried to backup with internet connecting and disconnecting. 
Post a Comment
Read more

25

Well, it has been quite a while since I last posted anything here, or even visited this blog. Yet another proof that the blog is quite boring that it does not warrant my visiting it. As for me not updating it, I could have blamed the numerous blackouts, or even blamed the alcohol(proliferation of Chang’aa in Kenya). But here is a perfect reason that I was not blogging. See, I come form a very green area in Kenya called Mwingi. O.k. , I now admit that it is a dry area often plagued by drought , but the area is quite green due to the continuous rains in Kenya starting last November. In case you are wondering, neither drought, rain or lush greenery is to blame for my failure to blog. A more closer fit would be the constitutional system of the country. See I come from Mwingi south , a constituency that was once split from Mwingi constituency. Before the split, Mwingi constituency had its M.P. as Kalonzo Musyoka , the country’s V.P. Kalonzo Musyoka is still the M.P. for Mwingi North. Recen...
2 comments
Read more

Why Humanity Hasn't Learned From the Covid Pandemic

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic began ravaging the world, succeeding the 1918 flu pandemic.  Many found it unbelievable that despite all the scientific progress that the world has made since 1918, from composite jets to modern healthcare to going to the moon, the world was still susceptible to a pandemic.  Ironically, some of these advancements largely played a role in the spread of the pandemic. Thousands of global flights every hour and air conditioning fanned its spread like a dry wind would in a forest fire.  There was even further disbelief in mid-2020 when it became apparent that many countries were even struggling to keep a pandemic in check. Developed countries, supposed to have the best healthcare, suffered the worst outbreaks amidst disagreements on measures such as quarantines and wearing of masks.  In yet another twist, technology advancement finally came to our rescue with the speedy development of vaccines, including the safe pioneering of never-tried-b...
Post a Comment
Read more