Touting to earn better living

By John Kasimu

Touts, you may wonder why these people always wander in the town center day in day out. This is their work place! Like top officials in the government compared to the Head of Public Service or other senior officials, they rise very early in the morning and report to their work place, albeit not a physical office.

Francis Cheprus famously called Karus is one of the touts. He wakes up early in the morning to do touting. He is aware that this is a proscribed duty. However, his antics have enabled him just like the rest to avoid the long arm of the law. Touting in Kenya is prohibited by the Traffic Act. It is an offence punishable by law.

Touts loading vehicle(Photo:Jesse Musyoka/MCV)

Francis admits that the business has good fortune. “Sisi kama Makanga wa Mutomo hulipwa jumla ya shillingi mia nne kila siku. Ni mshahara lakini ikilinganishwa na gharama ya maisha, si lolote” (We earn up to four hundred shillings but this cannot be compared with high cost of living).

He explains that they work as a group and divide work among themselves and assist the passengers to load and offload their luggage on the matatu. He also asks them to board vehicles.

The father of two must do this work to feed his family and educate his children. At times he is forced to misuse the daily earnings because of what he cites as ‘stress’. He can take beer, buy khat or engage in other luxurious lifestyles.