Over 100 business owners operating outside Makadara Hospital in Mombasa County have expressed outrage after being evicted by the county government.
According to the affected traders, county officers, accompanied by youths, descended on the area and demolished their stalls, leaving them stranded.
Many of them had invested heavily in their businesses, relying on daily sales to support their families and pay off loans.
Speaking to the media, the traders voiced their frustrations, demanding that the county government compensate them since they have lost investments due to the demolitions, accusing the county of destroying their properties without due process.
"This is the umpteenth time they are evicting us. I have children who have been sent home over school fees, and my house has also been locked over rent, now you are evicting me from my business. What do I do?" Flomina Santa Deche, one of the traders, decried.
The traders have described the evictions as unjust and unfair since the county ignored a court injunction they had obtained.
"We had a court order, yet they still came and violently removed us. We are now pleading for justice because we have lost everything, our businesses, and our livelihoods. How will we pay rent or feed our children?" said Shila Manana.
Following the demolition, the vendors have called for compensation, saying the county government must acknowledge their losses and provide alternative trading spaces.
The evictions are part of the county's efforts to clear informal traders from high-traffic areas. However, traders argue that they serve a vital purpose by providing affordable goods and services to hospital visitors.
The county government has yet to respond to the trader's grievances.
The demolitions come barely a month after the county had directed traders to temporarily move following the imminent collapse of a nearby 11-storey building.
The building, located at Kilifi Corner, Fayaz Estate, developed deep cracks and began sinking on April 2, prompting authorities to evacuate residents and businesses in the surrounding area and destroy it.
