DP Ruto buys mtumba jacket, sneakers for Ksh.50K as he campaigns in Gikomba

Kenya Kwanza Alliance presidential candidate William Ruto on Monday bought a second-hand jacket and a pair of sneakers for a combined Ksh.50,000 as he hit the campaign trail in Nairobi’s Gikomba market.

The Deputy President was atop his car when a trader offered him a pair of white sneakers, which he seemingly liked hence engaged him in a bid to negotiate the price.

The trader initially requested the DP to pay him Ksh.5,000 for the shoes, to which Ruto retorted: “Aah hapana, elfu tano ni bei ya juu bwana…(nipe) bei ya jioni…”

The trader then asked Ruto to counter with his own price, to which he then responded saying: “Aya basi, kwa sababu ni hustle, wacha nikupee elfu thelathini hapa ujipange na biashara yako…mimi naona viatu mzuri hii…”

In yet another instance, a second trader offered him an olive-green ​​short-sleeved puffer jacket. After trying it on, he asked supporters “Hii nguo ni noma, si noma?”

He then went ahead to negotiate the price with the lady: “Sasa tupige bei… hapana, elfu mbili ni nyingi! Bei ya jioni!”

“Huyu madam anataka kuninyoa bila maji? Usinione hivo, nimehchanuka msinione hivi!” said the DP amid cheers from the crowd.

The two appeared to have reached a consensus for the clothing item - Ksh.1500 - before Dr. Ruto forked out what he said was Ksh.20,000 and handed it down to her.

“Umenikata tano? Chukua elfu ishirini basi ujipange nayo,” he said before giving the wad of cash to her.

As part of his presidential campaign, DP Ruto has previously promised that his government will introduce legislation that will protect small and medium enterprise traders, especially those of imported second-hand clothes popularly known as ‘mitumba.’

“My government will establish processes and systems that will see the establishment of textile factories here in Kenya, and also ensure the growth and expansion of the mitumba trade,” Ruto told a section of Gikomba market mitumba traders when he hosted them at his Karen residence last month.

“Every business must be respected, protected and boosted to become bigger and better.”

The deputy president also stated that his government as well as the Nairobi County government will build new modern markets that will have specific areas for second-hand traders.