jua kali

As one approaches Kamukunji Jua Kali, one is welcomed by noise produced by hammered metals. The noise is so intense that one hardly speaks to the person next to one. The noisiest place here is the shed where jua kali artisans make pots and frying pans. The hammering of metals is in unison almost rhythmical.

The work shed is not the usual factory since workers do not have safety equipment like gloves, boots and goggles. One may say the structures they are using to keep their materials and finished products are in deplorable condition, but jua kali operators are contented with such structures.

George Mureithi, 54, has been grafting metals for the past 36 years at Kamukunji Jua Kali station. He has been able to endure harsh working condition with no predictable daily income. He mainly makes wheelbarrows, water containers and plastic buckets.

Mureithi, who appeared casual and comfortable in his long green overcoat, says not everybody can survive in the job he is doing. As he narrates his work history, one can tell that Mureithi must have been a super human being as he had to work for a whole week with no customer to buy his products.

For Mureithi, sky is the limit since he did not leave his work to rush for other jobs like his former colleagues. As he said, he lived day by day expecting that the next day would be promising; and indeed it became promising because Mureithi is currently operating his jua kali shop worth Ksh100, 000 with daily income of between Ksh650 and Ksh1, 000 and approximately Ksh30, 000 a month.

“This work is gambling. One has to know how to operate it,” he says

Mureithi does not operate only his shop. He is being hired to graft metals by his colleagues whom he said they have been a major source of his daily income.

Jennifer Kangethe, 55, is Mureithi’s next-door in his work place and she attests that Mureithi is a hardworking man who must open his jua kali shop at six o’clock daily, although he operates from Kangemi approximately 40 kilimetres from his work station.

Although Mureithi has been able to reap good money from his work, he said there was a challenge in getting capital to start it since the cost of materials is very high and it involved a lot of competition.

“One has to rush to Industrial Area very early in the morning. Prices become high when many people need certain material,” he says.

Mureithi has customers from many parts of the country. He draws his customers as far as Narok, Eldoret and Kisumu. He said most of his customers buy his products in wholesale. His customers call him to tell how many water containers or wheelbarrows they need.