The market moves around the city on different days of the week, typically operating from 9am (they probably have all their items out at around 9:30/10) to 6pm at each location.
Tuesday: Westgate Shopping Mall in Westlands (the upper car park) relocated to Kijabe Street opposite the Norfolk Hotel
Wednesday: Capital Centre on Mombasa Road near the airport
Thursday: Nakumatt Junction Shopping Mall on Ngong Road
Friday: Village Market in Gigiri (the upper car park)
Saturday: The High Court parking lot in the city center (behind the Hilton)
Sunday: Yaya Centre in Hurlingham
My favorite day is Sunday because it's closer, and I know more of the sellers theres
Standard Costs for Items
All prices are in KSH, so divide by 100 for USD.
Peter Ngomeri (0758381190): earrings, typically he will start you at 500, but usually if you buy more you can get him down to 300-400 per earrings
Brenda (0723486193): necklaces and beaded wares, the normal circular necklaces are about 450-650, but some of the more fancy beaded necklaces can go up to 5000.
Kemsa Rajab (0721413822): woven baskets, the smaller raffa baskets are about 400 each, the bigger ones go up to 1500
Wooden Spoons/salad tossers: 300 each
Peter Gathoni (0724319367): brass jewelry, 400-600 per bracelete
Wooden bowls start at 500/600 and go up to 1500 depending on size
Woven bags: medium one 1000, big ones 1300-1500
Cross body bags with dashiki on top: 500
Paintings: 2000 to 6000, depending on size
Don't buy fabric at the masai market-- instead buy it at the Nairobi Textile Market in town, about 1300 for 6 meters.
How to Pick out Kitenge Cloth
It's much easier to buy cloth in West than East Africa. However, you can buy a pretty good assortment of patterns in the Nairobi Textile markets and some places around Tanzania.
- The normal swatches of cloth you see in the market, should be 6 meters of fabric. That can usually make 2-3 dresses. In Ghana and Nigeria they will sell it to you by 3 meters, but usually not in Kenya.
- A reasonable price is $13 for 6 meters, but they probably will start haggling around $20-$25.
- Just because it's waxed doesn't necessarily mean it's more expensive. In fact, sometimes they wax the cloth to cover thinner material.
- Hold it up to the light, and make sure you can't through it.
- Check if there is heavy bleeding from one edge of color to another. If there is, the dye they used is probably not good, and will fade quickly.
- Use nail polish remover to take off the sticky residue from giant stickers.