Small business operators along Kilifi Posta Office road got a rude shock on Wednesday when they found all their business stalls had been demolished by the county government during the night.
The Sad news was that all their wares had been thrown apart leading to heavy losses after purchasing their fruits at exorbitant prices from Kongowea Market and neighbouring Tana River County.
Speaking to KNA some of the residents who own business along the street said that in January 2021, they received letters from the County municipal officers that they should vacate the premises but did not give them alternative places to go.
They wrote letters back asking for alternative places to go but did not get any feedback from the County government and so they thought the idea had been suspended.
In February this year, they received verbal promises from the County officers that they could continue operating along the street but to their dismay, they woke up to find all their stalls damaged.
Collins Jaramogi, one of the affected business operator said everything he owned was destroyed during the demolition and that he started the business this year to face the challenges of economic hardships after the closure of all business premises last year due to Covid 19 pandemic.
“We wonder what the county government want us to do next after cutting short our only sources of livelihood. We cannot travel back to our homes upcountry since the national government imposed lockdown in five counties,” he said.
Omar Hussein whose stall was also demolished lashed out at the county government for not allowing them to pack their wares and leave instead of putting them at a loss that could have been avoided.
“This is an inhuman act being undertaken by a county government which was brought to power by the people. By taking the action, they have not made us the owners suffer but our families who depend on us”, he said.
The affected business operators spent the better part of the day outside the deputy governor’s offices seeking to be addressed and be allocated an alternative site for operation.
By Harrison Yeri, Hamaibe Ipu and Breen Muhonja
