I work here with my wife and my son who recently graduated from Technical University of Kenya. I receive clients from as far as Maralal and Nanyuki. Many of my customers are referrals from my previously satisfied customers.
For many people, the loss of a job is always the beginning of misery. But for Peter Ngugi, aka Stikaman, it was the beginning of a successful venture. Ngugi specialises in putting reflective stickers and branding vehicles and boda bodas in Nyahururu town.
When Stikaman lost his job as a chef at a big hotel in Nairobi, he did not despair. He went to Grogan, learnt a new skill and moved back to Nyahururu to eke out a living using his newly gained knowledge.
When KNA visited him at his shop, he was busy putting brake light stickers and dashboard cover stickers on the motorcycle of a customer.
“Immediately after I graduated, I worked as a chef for 15 years. Unfortunately I lost my job and decided that I won’t go to the kitchen again. I started out with selling vehicle accessories as a hawker in Nairobi but the venture was very competitive and poorly paying,” Stikaman says.
He decided to look for something unique and that is how he came up with the idea of making boda bodas and vehicles beautiful.
“I started with painting cars and putting tints but in Nairobi I was unable to fend for my family and that’s when I decided to move back to Nyahururu with my family,” Stikaman says.
“I work here with my wife and my son who recently graduated from Technical University of Kenya. I receive clients from as far as Maralal and Nanyuki. Many of my customers are referrals from my previously satisfied customers.”
He says they charge fair prices unlike in Nairobi because in Nyahururu many boda boda operators do not make much money.
Stikaman designs the stickers on a computer before printing them on paper and sticking them on a customer's boda boda or vehicle.
Many people will ride a good looking boda boda. The stickers are affordable and very attractive on the motorcycle, making it easily identifiable in the midst of many boda bodas that ply the streets
Elikana, a boda boda rider and frequent customer, visits the shop to have a sticker put on his motorcycle. “When you put some stickers on your boda boda, it attracts customers and makes it noticeable from a distance. The stickers are more affordable compared to repainting the boda boda,” he says.
“The stickers cover rusted or worn out parts of the boda boda giving them a fresh look. Also, when you want to sell your boda boda, you put stickers on it and it will attract a better price than a plain boda boda.”
Another customer identified as Francis is getting ready to leave Stikaman’s shop after getting his boda boda decorated.
Francis says he chose his designs from a movie he watched recently and explained them to Stikaman who reproduced them just the way he wanted.
“Many people will ride a good looking boda boda. The stickers are affordable and very attractive on the motorcycle, making it easily identifiable in the midst of many boda bodas that ply the streets,” Francis says with satisfaction.
He says some customers, especially college students, will only ride a good-looking boda boda.
The stickers’ expert says a customer will pay any amount as long as you produce a good sticker and paste it well. He challenges the youth, especially graduates, to think of innovative ways to earn a living rather than waste time waiting for the rare white colour jobs.
His major challenge, he says, is during the rainy season. Many customers don’t pimp their boda bodas because of the mud and rainwater. “So this business is mainly lucrative during the sunny season,” Stikaman says.
During the interview his son, Junior was on the computer creating a Facebook page for his dad’s business to market it online.
“In this era, most things are done online and that’s why I’m taking my dad’s business online. With Facebook we will be able to show potential customers far and wide what we are currently doing and the latest designs,” Junior says.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
