Kisumu Traders count loses as “illegal” containers removed
By Dickson Odhiambo
March 31, 2021
Kisumu Traders count loses as “illegal” containers removed
A section of traders in Kisumu are counting loses after the County Government of Kisumu through the City Management has removed the containers following cries from members of the public over who mounted what they have termed as illegal containers.
Tension remained high for the better part of the day within the Central Business District as some traders protested the bringing of more Containers at the Back street around Akamba area next to Kenya Railways houses last night in an area where their business premises were demolished last year and they were sent away.
The traders milled around the containers until around 11:00 am while protesting after which Acting Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga and the City Inspectorate Team visited the place.
Kisumu City without uttering any word ordered for a caterpillar truck to pull down all the about six containers that were erected last night.
Enraged members of the public told the Acting City Manager not to spare even the containers that had earlier been erected near Telkom offices by unknown investor where the original occupants of the place had their stalls demolished.
They accused the investor in the container business of not engaging the stakeholders hence bringing confusion in the whole matter.
The Bulldozer from the County Government of Kisumu moved swiftly to the place and demolished the containers near the Telkom amidst protests from the occupants who seemed to have been caught unaware by the move.
Only a few traders who were available managed to remove their goods before the bulldozer fell the containers down.
The event led to abrupt closure of shops around the place for fear of looting from unruly protestors who demanded that there must be equality in the distribution of places where such containers are to be placed for business purposes.
Kisumu City Manager who addressed the press at the scene said nobody will erect illegal containers within the Central Business District without approval from the office of the City Manager.
Abala says all the Containers which will be put on sewer lines or pathways will be demolished and removed at all cost.
“There is no contract for putting up containers on the sewer lines or pathways and whoever is doing this is not doing the right thing at all and who will put them in such line we will remove them,” Wanga says
A Number of leaders have lauded the move to remove the containers, adding that there was no proper process of public participation before such containers were brought.
Market/Mlimani Ward Member of County Assembly Seth Ochieng Kanga says the one who was awarded the contract for putting up the containers was not sensitive enough with the needs of the people.
“He went ahead to place these containers without consulting various stakeholders me included and this is not good at all,” Kanga says.
He has lauded the Kisumu Governor’s move to order the removal of the containers within the Central Business District.
Kisumu Gubernatorial Aspirant Polycarp Ocholla Kamili says the demolitions that have been witnessed in the Lake side City of Kisumu has been in bad taste because most traders have been affected and have never been relocated.
“When these places were demolished, you were promised that you will be relocated to some places but that has never been done,” Kamili says.
Ocholla says the lost glory of Kisumu must be restored, adding that traders should be given alternative places to settle on when their property are demolished.
Audi Ogada, Kisumu City Residents Voice Chairman has lauded the residents move to play their constitutional duty to protest the illegally returned containers within the CBD without engaging all stakeholders.
“I want to laud the residents of Kisumu City who have move swiftly to use Article 1 of the Constitution 2010 that talks about the Sovereignty of the people,” he says.
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