Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro appears to have defied all odds while living in the slums to achieve his big dream- buying a car.

Speaking to TV47’s Willis Raburu on Wabebe Experience, Osoro disclosed that his hawking business earned him enough to achieve that dream.

“The small KSh300 profit I was making from selling newspapers I began selling peanuts. After 10am when people are no longer buying newspapers I would sell peanuts and then added biscuits to my stock,” he began.

So good was the new venture that it earned him up to KSh1,000 in profits per day. Osoro would reportedly sell the snacks along traffic-hit roads in Nairobi.

The South Mugirango Member of Parliament (MP) would then add on another venture as he had a lot of free time even after selling newspapers and snacks.

“I lived in Mukuru Kwa Reuben with my cousin. So I moved out and rented out a small house. By noon I was done selling peanuts and newspapers so I asked myself what I would do next since I cannot go home.”

This sparked an idea to explore the clothing business. Osoro made his way to Nairobi’s largest second-hand clothes market Gikomba where he bought a handful of women’s official wear and began hawking them in offices.

“I would buy women’s clothes like trench coats, blouses then iron them very nicely and pack them in a backpack. After noon I would walk from office to office selling them.

“For example I would buy one trench coat for KSh100. I would then iron them neatly and mend the torn areas before selling them at KSh1,000 or KSh1,500 each,” the two-term lawmaker narrated.

He said office receptionists formed the largest portion of his customer base.

“I would tell them to pay KSh500 deposit and I’ll come for the balance at the end of the month.”

The business suffered an untimely demise after he was arrested by county askaris and his stock confiscated. After serving one week of community service as punishment at City Hall, Osoro abandoned the venture and went into the butchery business.

Coupled with his newspaper and snacks business, Osoro intimated that with time he gained enough money to apply for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) course.

He would however make the mistake of buying a car while studying.

“I registered for CPA because I wanted to be an accountant. I began my classes even thought it was a real struggle juggling work and school.

“I made a mistake. Someone sold me a car- Peugeot 504- at KSh80,000, because all I wanted was to drive. I would park it elsewhere then walk to the my home in the slums,” the lawmaker narrated.

His career took a different turn later in life as he pursued law before venturing in politics.