The business community in Kisumu County has appealed to President William Ruto to lend a listening ear to the grievances of Gen Z so as to ease the current standoff in the country.
The business community said the heavy losses they have incurred following the onset of the Gen Z protests was now taking a toll on them.
Those in the Boda Boda and Matatu and Matatu Sectors have decried the ongoing protests for occasioning them massive losses by scaring away travelers leading depressed business.
“My name is Samwel Odhiambo and I am a boda boda operator based in Kondele in Kisumu which happens to be the epicenter of anything called chaos in Kisumu where if any violence breaks out in Kisumu then it starts from Kondele hence without any income then our lives including in our homes have stalled hence it is our plea to President Ruto to hearken to the requests of the generation Z for peace to prevail and business to resume in the country,” he pleaded.
“I am a motorcycle rider and as soon as I got ready to embark on my business from 8 a.m in the morning chaos had erupted and this goes on the whole day and we go home empty handed and sleep hungry with our families” decried another Kisumu motorcycle rider.
Mama Consolate Awuor who is a fish monger at Kondele market also decried lack of customers occasioned by the insecurity.
Consolata speaking to KNA said “I sell raw and fried fish but of late we have incurred insurmountable losses from the onset of the demonstrations because our customers stay home due to fear and we sell no fish and go home empty handed and sleep hungry, we are unable to pay rent and other bills including school fees.”
“Hellen Awino said demonstrators have directly affected her business since on protest days like on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she closes down the whole day.
Those in the meat sector too are not left behind especially those working in butcheries lamenting that they usually do not sell making it difficult to sustain themselves.
The residents of Kisumu have since pleaded with president Ruto to urgently institute mechanisms to address the concerns of the generation Z and end the demonstrations saying that the trend continues it will cripple the economy of country and further worsen an already dire situation.
By Milton Onyango
