Famous “Chipo Mwitu” Vendor Bevalyne Kwamboka Closes Shop Over Expensive Potatoes, Cooking Oil

Famous potato chips vendor Bevalyne Kwamboka has closed her makeshift shop for selling potato chips, over what she terms as the high cost of cooking oil and potatoes.

In a tweet shared on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Kwamboka alleged that the prices of the two commodities have almost tripled, leaving her with negligible profits.

“To all Chipo mwitu supporters, due to increase in waru (potatoes) and cooking oil prices we have officially ‘suspended’ selling Chipo until further notice. Waru was Ksh1200 now Ksh3200. Oil was Ksh1200 now Ksh2350 (10l). Profit ziko (are) almost zero. Let’s focus on avocado and matoke and part-time pupils coaching (sic),” she said.

Kwamboka has been selling chips at the Kware footbridge in Embakasi South for a couple of years while doubling as a student at Kenyatta University.

At one point, she said she depended on the business to support her education, claiming that if she closed shop she would be forced to defer her studies.

“This (business) is my mother, this is my father, this is my husband, this is my employment. If I stop this business, I will defer my university education and go back to my rural home…that will be the end of me, I will have to shift from Nairobi,” she said late last year.