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Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Nairobi- It is not every day that you meet a hawker dressed in a crisp suit in the busy Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).
With a pocket square, one would easily confuse Edgar Ignatius Otieno for one of the corporate executives in the capital.
However, Edgar has been hawking pencils along Kenyatta Avenue near GPO for the last twenty years.
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A social work graduate from the University of Eldoret, Edgar worked as a sales representative for Barclays Bank (now Absa Bank) before quitting due to what he described as little earnings.
The father of three revealed that he makes KSh 1500 a day from his pencil business, adding that he had learnt to be respectful when dealing with potential clients.
The hawker who gets his pencils from shops on River Road before selling them to vehicles in traffic stated that most people suspect that the trade is a front for something else.
He explained that most Nairobi residents suspect he works for the intelligence agencies due to how he conducts himself.
"People say so much about me; even the security guys wonder if I'm pretending to be someone else while doing something different. But for me, I know myself, I know what I am doing, and I don't care about what people say.
Some say I am part of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), but to tell the truth, that's just pure lies. For example, in 2022, I was on the ballot back home in a ward called Marachi West. A civil servant cannot run in the ballot; everybody knows that," he said.
He reiterated that the pencil business is his main source of income, adding that one of his children is a Limuru Girls High School student.
He further observed that it would be difficult for him to accept a different job since most don't compare with the amount he's earning at the moment.
However, he explained that if he gets a better-paying opportunity, he would be willing to substitute the streets for an office.
"Leaving this will depend. You know, they say greener pasture, and according to me, it's something better. People offer me jobs. But when someone calls you and tells you they want to offer you a job, then they say they will pay you KSh 20,000. If I calculate, it seems like a demotion. But if someone offers me at least something that will pay more than this, then why not?" he posed.
In 2023, another successful businesswoman wowed netizens after opening up about her humble beginnings.
Brechy Kiki, who runs Brechy's Kitchen catering, narrated that she quit a stable job to pursue her passion for catering right from her house.
Kiki said via Facebook that she began her catering business on the third floor of her residence in Kawangware. It now boasts multiple halls and kitchens managed by a head chef.
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