Kenyans brave tough economic times to show love on Valentine's Day
Streets in Nairobi were painted red by flower vendors who displayed their wares for customers who were on the other hand eager to pick the bouquets they found appealing to gift their loved ones.
Kenyans on Friday painted the streets of Nairobi red in a show of Valentine's Day love and affection despite the difficult economic times that households are facing.
Flower vendors who spoke to The Eastleigh Voice expressed satisfaction with their sales on Valentine's Day, saying that the occasion has come with good tidings.
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Despite past years being better in terms of sales, the traders acknowledged that Kenyans have been going through difficult economic times, and purchasing flowers to express love had been the least of their concerns until Valentine's Day.
David Wanyeki, who sells artificial flowers and dolls along Ronald Ngala Street, expressed hope that Kenya’s economy would improve to enable more Kenyans to purchase flowers to express their love.
"It's true we have made sales. You cannot however compare it to past years when everywhere could have been painted red. I guess it's because of the high cost of living," said Wanyeki.
Paul Mukua, a messenger who was on Valentine's Day tasked with delivering flowers to clients across the city, said business was good compared to other days.
Streets in Nairobi were painted red by flower vendors who displayed their wares for customers who were on the other hand eager to pick the bouquets they found appealing to gift their loved ones.
Pedestrians and motorists
Along Tom Mboya Street and Moi Avenue where Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration had driven out hawkers, many vendors were walking from one lane to the next as they targeted pedestrians and motorists with their wares.
It was also a spectacle around City Market where fresh flowers are sold. Traders scrambled to get the attention of customers who strolled booths to pick various gifts.
Shops in the Nairobi central business district displayed red colours and balloons to attract customers while others took the opportunity to offer discounts in a bid to woo customers.
This year's Valentine's Day, which is known for a display of love and affection by those in love, came even as the National Treasury defended government policies that it said have had the effect of putting money in the pockets of Kenyans.
This is amid the general feeling among many Kenyans that their situation has worsened under the Kenya Kwanza regime.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi on Thursday afternoon outlined the measures put in place to ease the cost of living for Kenyans as well as increase money in circulation.
Among the measures he cited was the lowering of the Central Bank rate, which is expected to see banks lower the cost of loans and the easing of food and energy prices due to government interventions – a move he said saw the cost of living drop to 3.3 per cent in January.
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