Murang’a: Precincts of institutions of higher learning including tertiary colleges and universities across the country have over the years become avenues of thriving businesses. A hub of mushrooming and thriving businesses that are a statement of the true Kenyan entrepreneur spirit. What many may not be cognisant of is that many of these businesses are owned and run by the students in those institutions: born out of necessity, opportunity or even passion, these campus entrepreneurs often continue with the trade beyond the university gates. They understand customer trends; in most cases, fellow students are giving them a niche over the local community’s entrepreneurs/businesspeople.
According to Kenya News Agency, some student entrepreneurs from the Murang’a University of Science and Technology (MUT), a leading public university in central Kenya, known for its focus on science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, are making waves in the business world. Martin Kanyaru, a second-year arts and social sciences student, runs the Mwireri Malimali shop; ‘Mwireri’ is Kikuyu for ‘one who is trying to grow’. And true to this, his small shop, trading in malimali items, is a true statement of the entrepreneurial spirit in him. “I come from a humble background, and even joining the university was not easy for my parents, so when I saw an opportunity, I leapt in,” he says.
Kanyaru trades in all household goods from beddings to kitchenware, which are a hot sale on campus because these are items that every household requires. He describes the delicate balance between credit hours and entrepreneurship, noting, “I have classes to attend to and customers to serve, and it indeed is challenging balancing the two, but somehow I must manage, so I leave my friend at the shop to serve the customers while I attend class.” From the proceeds, he is able to comfortably pay his school fees, survive, and even channel some little amounts at home to support projects he intends to pursue after school.
Alfred Njeru, a third-year journalism and digital media student, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit in a different way. “I sell ladies’ outfits, and I’m either in class, at the shop, or in the Nairobi Eastleigh area selecting fashionable outfits in line with the current trends, which, by the way, keep evolving,” he noted. Despite having his shop, Njeru primarily markets on his social media platforms to balance lectures, assignments, and business. He says running a business alongside schoolwork has taught him time management, which has paid off. “I can comfortably settle my school fees, considerably reducing the financial burden on my family, while also saving some money to further advance my studies beyond the undergraduate level.”
For Aisha Emitati, a third-year Journalism and Mass Media student, her passion for beauty has become a source of income. The young entrepreneur runs a nail studio, inspired by her love for nail artistry long before joining university. “I’ve always been passionate about nails. When I joined university, I started by doing my classmates’ nails from my hostel room. As demand grew, I eventually opened a small workspace where I now serve clients,” she says. Balancing entrepreneurship with academics has been challenging, but Aisha has learned to manage her schedule so that neither her studies nor her business suffers.
Similarly, Mellen Onyansi, also a student at the university, has transformed her talent in hairdressing into a flourishing business. She runs a salon that serves fellow students and residents around the university. Onyansi says the salon has given her financial independence while allowing her to pursue her studies, adding that the practical experience she gains as an entrepreneur will remain valuable long after graduation. “University has given us an opportunity not only to earn our degrees, but also to discover our potential as entrepreneurs. The income I make from the salon helps me cater to my daily needs while preparing me for life after campus,” she says.
The four campus entrepreneurs concur that with unemployment being a major challenge in the country, it is time for young people to aspire to be job creators rather than job seekers by aiming to transform their talents into enterprises while still in school.
