Traders in a Kisumu Market lauds Governor’s move to do away with cartels

Traders at Chichwa Market address the press in Kisumu today where they have lauded Kisumu Governor's move to take over the management of the market from Cartels-Photo from Dickson Odhiambo

 By Dickson Odhiambo

December 4, 2020

Traders in a Kisumu Market lauds Governor’s move to do away with cartels

About 300 hundred traders at the new Chichwa Market in Kisumu City have lauded the Kisumu Governor’s move to take over the management of the market from the hands of a few cartels that had been benefiting from funds that the traders have been illegally contributing.

The traders vowed not to part with any money that a section of some few cartels have been demanding from them as security fees for a private company manning the market.

Addressing the press in Kisumu today to thank the Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’os move through the Management of Kisumu City to take over the management of the Market, the traders claim that a group of some few people have been collecting shs 15 from them on a daily basis for the provision of security of their goods at the market among other fees which they have termed as illegal.

Through some of their leaders, the traders have said the Management of City of Kisumu led by the Acting City Manager Aballa Wanga should address the issue of security, water and electricity within the new Chichwa Market.

Joshua Hussein says there has been a lot of mismanagement issue at the market hence has lauded the move by the City of Kisumu to take over the management.

He says there has been accountability after traders collect the said amount on a daily basis for the issue of security within the market.

“We have been  having a big problem because some illegal levies have been imposed to the traders like paying shs 500 fee, land rate of shs 3500 and 7,500 for license at the market. This has been very sad as some people who have self-imposed,” he says.

Jane Aluoch says they have suffered a lot under the control of some cartels who took control of the leadership of the market and imposed illegal fees.

She has asked the county Government of Kisumu to consider constructing another market so as to accommodate more traders who have never been given space at the market.

The traders has picked up issues with a private security company purporting to have been hired on their behalf to man the building, adding that never at any point did they agree that the firm man the place.

Kisumu City Acting Manager Michael Abala Wanga in a press statement to the newsroom dated December 3,2020 clarified that the Chichwa Market belongs to the City Management, adding that the management of the city has taken over its management with immediate effect.

Abala says there has been a high level of disorganization and mismanagement at the market prompting the management of the city to take over its management.

“Unknown individuals have purported to be an association with a leadership to manage the traders at Chichwa market with the intention of collecting levies for the management of the market. This market belongs to the City Management and has been placed under the management by the City with immediate effect to address the issues of concerns,” Abala says in the Press statement.

Abala says the city management will address the following issues that include Sanitation, cleanliness and waste management, Security and enforcement rules, regulations and management issues and to organize the traders in working in a more conducive and favorable atmosphere.

Abala says for now the City Management does not recognize any group, brokers and cartels masquerading  as the owners of the market while pretending to be the professional managers of the market.

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