‘I am not a spy,’ Nairobi pencil hawker on his business and rumours of being an NIS agent

Along Kenyatta Avenue near GPO, Otieno hops from one car to another, donning finely tailored suits, with a bag in his hand, hawking pencils. This is something he has done for the last two decades.

"I went to school where I studied Social Work at the University of Eldoret, and at some point I was employed as a Sales Representative for Barclays Bank (now Absa Bank). But because the earnings were too little, I decided to hawk pencils. I have been here since the 2007 post-election violence," Otieno said in an exclusive interview with Citizen Digital. 

The father of three says in a day he makes at least Ksh.1500 from his pencil business. He has learnt the art of talking to people nicely, and this has seen motorists buy his pencils.

Otieno says the hard economic times and lack of proper employment pushed him to the streets. But because he always wanted to look presentable, he decided not to ditch his suits. Instead, he wakes up every morning, dresses up properly, with a tie on the neck and well-polished shoes, and hits the streets. 

He gets his pencils from shops on River Road, treks uptown and embarks on knocking on every car stuck in traffic, with the hope that the occupant(s) will buy.

"This is where I get my daily bread. I have a daughter in Limuru Girls High School and two younger kids. I take care of them through this job," Otieno says.

Skeptical Kenyans who rarely see well-dressed hawkers don't believe Otieno is genuinely selling pencils to make ends meet. Some have claimed that is a member of the country's intelligence system.

"Some people claim I am a member of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), some say I am here on a mission, but all that is not true. For instance, in 2022 I vied for an MCA seat back home in Busia County. You know very well that a civil servant cannot get into politics without resigning, how then can I be NIS agent and still vie for MCA? Such sentiments don't bother me any more," Otieno clarifies. 

As a social worker, he has been immensely touched by the flooding in the country that has claimed over 250 lives and destroyed property. Otieno says his intention is to mobilise funds and support for victims of the floods, but he is financially challenged. 

On whether he will ditch the streets for an office job if an offer came his way, Otieno says he has been approached by many people offering him job offers, but he says most of them want to pay him poorly.

"Someone says they can employ me for Ksh.20,000 per month, but you see that is too little compared to what I make here. But if a good offer comes my way, I can easily consider because this hawking is not sustainable," he concludes.