Starehe Member of Parliament Amos Mwago, has appealed to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to intervene and stop county officials from evicting traders at the newly established Pumwani market.
Mwago, who addressed the traders on Saturday, August 18, further asked the governor to recall the officials who raided the market bearing letters from the governor authorising the construction of new stalls.
Traders had lamented that they risked being displaced by the new directive and were uncertain of their future and source of income too.
“No container will be put along Pumwani Road. People should look for other letters. We already have a development letter, and that is what the county should be doing, not abandoning the development,” Mwago remarked, further pledging to oppose the displacement of traders.
The traders had additionally claimed that the county breached a pre-existing agreement they had reached concerning the allocation of stalls within the market.
“What we are asking from our MP, Amos Mwago, is to take a section of our leaders and go to the governor to address this situation,” one of the traders recommended.
Other recommendations included urging the county to prioritize the legitimate beneficiaries of the stalls in the new allocations and refraining from demanding incentives from the traders.
They lamented that they were grappling with harsh economic times similar to other Kenyans but were striving to make ends meet and also raise revenue for the county.
In accordance with the pre-existing agreement with the county government, the traders were initially slated to receive contemporary kiosks to carry out their business activities.
Nevertheless, that plan appears to have been abandoned owing to the county officials claiming unavailability of funds to fund the project.
Sakaja has yet to respond to the trader's grievances or the allegations levelled against his officials.
During the campaigns, the governor promised to build 20 new markets across Nairobi to uplift traders and decongest Gikomba and Wakulima markets. After being elected into office, he refurbished various markets and restored law and order in one of the county's highest revenue-generation sectors.
