The excitement about attending the just concluded Kenya International Trade Fair at Jamhuri Show Ground in Nairobi City was palpable, especially for 24-year-old Brian Juma, who had only heard of the national event through the media.
For Brian, who schooled in Homa Bay and Kisumu Counties, his expectations, like most of the hundreds of students, parents and regular show-goers who attended the weeklong event was a dream come true. Says the Form Four graduate who aspires to be a nurse: “I had always heard of the Nairobi International show, but I have never attended it. The closest I got was to attend the Kisumu Agricultural Show in Kisumu County while I was in secondary school and accompanied one of my uncles.”
In his own words, the 24-year-old says his expectations was to see and mix up with students and professionals from different schools who had visited the trade fair and be informed, educated and entertained.
Great Expectations
But that expectation was not met when he got to the main entrance and noticed that the number of people paying the Kshs250 for children and Kshs300 for adult was way below what he had psyched his mind on.
After entering from the Jamhuri Estate gate that faces Kibera station, previously used by livestock and other farmers from Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza regions to transport their animals and farm produce for the mega event, he was happy to see the see of heads of students in uniform, others in home clothes touring the agricultural demonstration plots, poultry and livestock sections before moving to the other parts of the over 100-acre Nairobi Showground.
According to one of the officials, Paul Udoto, of Kenya Wildlife Services, the number of showgoers, especially students, had been affected by the two-year closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic disruptions which also affected the school calendar.
The other impact was the current impasse over the education sector and calendar, where schools had resumed from a one week holiday a week before the Trade Fair, and the high costs of the economy and school fees among others.
Says Brian: “The Trade Fair offered a lot to see and be told, but unfortunately the turnout of students was below expectations from what I had heard and seen through the media, television and newspapers.”
Asked which were his favourite exhibitions to visit, Brian identified the agricultural demonstrations plots, thanks to his having a passion for the environment, the other was the manufacturing and business section where goods were displayed.
Favourite Exhibitions
But the most interesting area was the fanfare and arena where he attended the evening marchpast parade by a combined team of brass band by the military (Army, Airforce and Navy), Kenya Police service and Prisons Department.
Says Brian: “As the backbone of the country’s economy, the organisers of the trade fair ensure that they promoted the production, service and sales aspects of the sector very effectively. The demonstrations plots were amazing and the farm machinery and products there were interesting and inspiring for me as I had an opportunity to mingle and ask the officials some questions.”
Comparison to the Kisumu National show which I had earlier attended before Covid-19 restrictions forced the government to suspend it, the gate fee and cost of snacks and entertainment was on the higher side.
Other difference was the tight security by the Kenya Police Service officers backed by colleagues from National Youth Service and private security firms manning the individual exhibition stalls and stands. “I also noticed that Nairobi Trade Fair was more complex, had more local and international companies and organisations exhibiting compared to the Kisumu event,” says Brian.
His quotable quote as he walked through the trade fair and mingled freely with the who-is-who, was from former South African freedom fighter and President, the late Nelson Madiba Mandela: “Thus shall we live, because we will have created a society which recognises that all people are born equal, with each entitled in equal measure to life, liberty, prosperity, human rights and good governance.”
Asked his thoughts on how to make the Trade fair better, Brian says: “If I had the opportunity to advice the organisers, I would request them to make a provision for poor citizens to be able to attend and experience and learn how to make their lives better by acquiring knowledge and skills.”
The Form Four student is also appealing to the organizers to adjust the gate fee to accommodate more students, whose morale would be boosted by that exposure. According to the Nairobi Agricultural Show Chairman, Joseph Mugo, this year’s event had the following theme: Promoting Innovation and Technology in Agriculture and Trade. Several schools were involved through their respective 4K Clubs from some of the 47 counties who exhibited their farming activities.
Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, opened the Trade on Fair, on Tuesday and Wednesday, on behalf of his boss, President William Ruto. There were also foreign exhibitors from China, Tanzania, Egypt, Botswana, India, Iran and Pakistan.
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