This archive report was first published on 13 July 2020.
Kenya's prolonged school break has left booksellers and uniform dealers reeling, with dwindling sales and revenues threatening their businesses.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha announced in July 2020 that all basic learning institutions would reopen in January, further dimming hopes of business recovery for the affected traders.
Uniform Outfitters, a 90-year-old outlet in Nairobi, has seen sales plummet by 54% since the school break began, with hardly any customers visiting the store.
Partner Kanti Haria expressed concerns about paying salaries for the 75 employees, with negotiations for a pay cut and retrenchment with the worker's union ongoing.
Mr. Haria noted that the only other time business was this bad was during the 1982 coup.
Other dealers, such as Ungwaro School Outfitters and Savani's Bookshop, have also reported significant drops in sales, with Savani's experiencing a 90% decline since the State imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew and shut schools.
As a result, Savani's is considering diversifying its business by expanding its portfolio and pushing sales through e-commerce.
