Kenya Stockholm Blog

Grace Nduta, a Kenyan lady, is running a well stocked “Kenya Shop” at Vårberg in Stockholm. When KSB paid her a visit last week, the premise was busy with customers making all kinds of purchases. The shop is another success story of Kenya-Stockholm entrepreneurship, having been in existence for at least a year. This is very encouraging because Kenyans would like to see more of their ilk joining the growing Immigrant Bizz community especially in Stockholm.

To welcome KSB at the shop was the proprietor, Grace, who was clad in a stylish traditional Masaai attire (complete with neck laces and other ornaments) to add the “Kenyan look” to the shop. While the shop itself draws a lot of attention, Nduta’s Masaai attire is part of the attraction with curious Swedish shoppers stopping by to investigate the attire. Others who have only seen it in pictures enjoy touching the fabric as Nduta goes about selling to both Swedish and African customers.

Items on sale at vary from food stuffs, clothes, wood-carvings to Nacet blades, Kenya glucose and other paraphernalia including Kenya maps ready for display on the walls to give that “Kenyan touch” to the sitting room environment. Wood-carvings of lions, elephants, giraffes and other animals can all be yours for a small price.

When it comes to food stuffs, top on the list includes maize floor (Pembe brand well packed in 1 Kg units), Kenya millet (Ujimix manufactured by Unga – Familia brand), brown kidney beans, dengu beans, Blue Band and Nesta Jam for bread. For some time, you can now put aside the Swedish butter following the arrival of Blue Band while an assortment of Swedish Jams could also be set aside because the Nesta Jam brand has entered into the Swedish market to offer some competition  – thanks to the hard working Grace Nduta and company!

The Shop has a huge collection of Milo, Nescafe, and Ketepa Tea. You will no longer need a Coffee brewer because the Kenyan way is called “Instant coffee” and what you need is just hot water. If you are not the Coffee type, then you will find solace in Milo and if you think that Milo is not the real deal, then you will be tied up with Ketepa Tea spiced with ginger or Tea Masala as Erick Wainaina’s “Inchi ya kitu kidogo – Chai” vibe plays in the background!

Dried vegetables in store include Skuma Wiki, Kunde, and Osuga. Curry powder (Simba Mbili and Tropical Heat varieties), Beef Masala, Garam Masala and Royco Mchuzi Mix are among top Kenyan spices at the shop. For tea lovers, Tea Masala and Ginger are the top picks. With top Kenyan spices in store, your Kenyan visitors will be asking you lots of questions about the “chemical formula” in the food especially when they notice the “Kenyan taint” in the flavour.

Kitenges and Kenyan T-Shirts
For Kenyans from Lake Victoria region, Omena is ever waiting at the shop with another big surprise – Obambla aka Obambo which could bring in some dose of Luo humour! In Nyanza, they say that within the three species of fish – Omena, Fulu and Kamongo, “Omena ne omeno wach, Fulu ne ofulo wach to Kamongo ne omwomore!).

Roughly put, it means Omena articulated the issues, Fulu exposed them but Kamongo simply crashed into them. If you are fond of crashing into issues you don’t even understand, you could be eating a lot of Kamongo and you need to take a break with Omena or Fulu and the palce to go for treatment is Vårberg! If  Omena is well spiced and served with Ugali, you might end up licking your fingers well after the plate’s content has been wiped out so watch out!

For kids, Patco and big-G peremende kwa watoto are at hand and Kenyan parents can now expect to surprise the kids with “Kenya goodies” direct from Kenya!

For women looking for that typical “Kenyan Suka”, then Grace Nduta has just made the work much more easier. It now costs a trip to Vårberg and a few kronazz and you are back after choosing from different varieties. If you are itching for more shopping, there is a lot of Kenya Jewelry on display featuring unique Masaasi designs you will never bump into at Ålens or NK and the stock looks good.

There is a growing number of Kenyans joining the Rasta Movement and before they run out of Stock, stylish Rasta hats are exactly the stuff that could interest Jah people as they add more overstanding of the system of Babylon that is sucking the blood of the sufaras. Along with the green-gold and red hats are well knit Vitenge shirts that could be handy, now that the long awaited summer is showing its face once again.

In case you go for a Kitenge, don’t forget the open slippers because the heavy winter boots are not the kind of attraction you want at Nyama Choma. If you want more than a Kitenge, there are several Kenyan T-Shirts emblazoned with Kenyan-related words and phrases that could enable you to advertize yourself around Stockholm as a proud Kenyan citizen. With Prezzo Barack Obama coming to mind every time Kenya is mentioned, who doesn’t want to look Kenyan?

Apart from offering items for sale, Grace Nduta’s Kenya shop also offers Kenyan ladies an opportunity to change hairstyles because the service is also available. The shop stocks different brands of Kenya hair braids so when you go shopping at Nduta’s shop, don’t be surprised if you land a deal to have your hair re-done to give you a new and fantastic look weaved Kenya-style at an affordable price! We take this opportunity to congratulate Grace following the establishment of her shop and wish her the best in business. KSB will continue to support Kenyan businessmen/businesswomen by exposing them to the public as a matter of policy.

Okoth Osewe