Kenyans will always come up with a thread [pun intended] about any successful local business.

'Thuo stole money from KBS to start Citi Hoppa'

...then when that is no longer fashionable...

'Michuki owns Citi Hoppa; Thuo is just a figure head'

'Mwau Owns Nakumatt'

'Nakumatt owns Tuskys'

'Tuskys owns Naivas'

'Moi & Biwott own Bidco; the name comes from Biwott-Daniel Company'

etc

etc

Can you see the fallacy?

So let's clear the air:

The owners of Nakumatt are from Nakuru town.

The owners of Tuskys are from Rongai (just outside Nakuru). The mzee of this family has never been an employee of Nakumatt nor it's predecessor,Nakuru Mattreses.

The owners of Naivas are from Naivasha...used to trade under the name Naivasha Self-Selection Stores and for many decades it was the only supermarket in the town....just like Duka Moja of Thika.....but that't a different story.

Tuskys started out as groceries shop [duka] in Rongai in the 1970s. In early 1990s,the owner of the whole sale shop from where they used to get supplies decided to migrate out of the country.

He sold his wholesale shop to the Tuskys family. They converted it into a retail shop going by the name Magic Superstore. At around the same time,the owners of Nakuru Mattresses sold off their Nakuru business and moved to Nairobi to open the first Nakumatt along Uhuru highway [Nakumatt Mega]

The new owners of Nakuru Matresses were a family from Naivasha and they renamed it Naivasha Mattresses.

At around this time,Uchumi openned its first branch in Nakuru and distabilised dukawallas in the town. Magic Superstores was harriedly converted into a self-service supermarket and soo enough,it was giving Uchumi and Gillanis [the other major supermarket in town] a run for their money.

few years down,Magic also moved to Nairobi...this is where the money is,you know [60% of our GDP]. Their first shop was at the Tusker bus stage along Ronald Ngala street.

This is where the picked up the name Tusker to become 'Tusker Magic'. Later they incorporated the name Tusker Mattresses to take advantage of the popularity of the 'Mattresses' tag that had become very well known in their home town of Nakuru.

The rest is history,isn't it?

Behind the gardens...Behind the wall...Under the tree (Including: Red...Dark Blue...Yellow)

I think their practice the true Kenyan spirit of recruiting from home.....

I visited their railways branch in Mombasa and I saw quite a number of attendants from Rongai [Nakuru]....

But Nakumatt is no different,a big chunk of their employees,especially supervisors and branch managers are from Nakuru

Behind the gardens...Behind the wall...Under the tree (Including: Red...Dark Blue...Yellow)

Seems like there is a strong relationship between Nakuru and retailing

@ Jaggernut

I thought so too. But on closer inspection,no town has more hawkers than Nakuru,

except offcourse Nairobi. Its said that 75% of residents in Naks are hawkers.


The Hedonist

When I moved to the town in early 1990s,there were only two supermarkets - Gilani's and another one whose name I can't remember [they eventually closed down...their main customers were wazungu from nearby ranches].

At the time,Nakuru Mattresses had not converted into a fully-fledged supermarket; only selling beds,beddings,furniture and kitchen items.

Then something broke loose: in a short space of ten years,every other shop in town had been converted into a supermarket....nearly all carrying the 'mattresses' tag in their name.

There was even one called 'Uchumi Mattresses'.....trying to kill two birds with one stone.....Even Stage Matt started from Nakuru at the main bus stage under the name Stage Mattresses

I moved out in 2001; perhaps any Skerian who still lives there can update us.....

Behind the gardens...Behind the wall...Under the tree (Including: Red...Dark Blue...Yellow)