Hundreds of Kibuye market traders in Kisumu are counting losses following the demolition of their structures by the county government.
The traders were collecting remains of their goods left after bulldozers descended on their structures on Monday night at 3am.
They said the county took advantage of coronavirus to punish them since they could not leave their houses at night due to curfew to salvage their properties.
“We have lost goods worth millions of shillings. We have been reduced to zero. I don’t even know where to start,” Mary Auma said.
She added that their goods were scattered in mad all over the market.
Another victim, Otieno Owiti, said youths who were doing business in Kibuye are currently subjected to suffering.
“How shall we feed our families now that we don't have space to do business?” he said.
Joyce Adhiambo, another trader, said they are not opposed to building Kibuye Market but it should have been done properly.
Kevin Otieno said the county government should have put up plans to construct the market in phases.
“A good leader should sit down with residents and discuss development plans. If you destroy our livelihoods, how are you helping us? We must work to eat,” he said.
Leaders have criticised the demolition, saying traders should have been engaged and given time to remove their goods before the demolition.
Kisumu Senator Fred Outa faulted the manner in which the exercise was carried out deep in the middle of the night.
"What is the need of destroying small businesses in Kisumu, yet there is no food given to those who are affected?" he asked.
Outa said he has received complaints from the traders that they were not given any notice of demolition. He said traders fully depend on selling their goods for daily livelihood.
“Nobody is opposed to developments in the county, but we must undertake them in an organised and humane manner,” he said.
The senator said residents, especially the business community, have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our people are living hand-to-mouth. The county government ought to have been gentle enough to carry out the demolition in an organised way,” Outa said.
He asked Governor Anyang' Nyong’o to find alternative space and relocate the affected traders. The lawmaker said the county should cushion these traders since their lives must continue.
The 12-acre Kibuye market is already fenced off ahead of the construction of modern structures for traders. The fencing was undertaken by the National Youth Service and work is yet to commence.
The work includes opening up of roads, improving sanitation, setting up offices and fire management system at Sh 35 million.
City manager Doris Ombara said they are committed to improving the market to boost trade. She said they want traders to carry out business in a better environment and defended the demolition, saying that traders were informed about it in a meeting.
"We told them to remove their goods because the planned construction of a modern market is irreversible," she said.
She added that they want to modernise the market and improve roads to make it more accessible.
But Joshua Nyamori, a resident of Kisumu, also castigated the county in the manner in which the demolition was done. He termed it illegal and an abuse of human rights, saying the county should have issued an eviction notice guideline to traders.
“Demolition has ruined many livelihoods and weakens an already limping economy, whose only backbone is the informal sector,” Nyamori said.
He noted that evictions in the name of building a market without implementing a well-crafted relocation plan only postpone a crisis.
Edited by Frank Obonyo