Nyali MP Hezron Awiti has promised to open up business opportunities to all communities in the county if he is elected Mombasa governor.
Awiti is running on the Vibrant Democratic Party. He said small-scale traders have been forced out of markets due to punitive laws and exorbitant rates. “Currently, all tenders and other business opportunities are being awarded to cronies and relatives of the politicians in the county, “ he told businessmen during a meeting in Bamburi on Sunday. Businessmen are complaining that since the county government assumed power, only a few individuals have been benefiting from the huge business opportunities available. Awiti said the only way to bridge the ethnic gap is to treat all communities fairly. “This is what I stand for. I urge your fellows to vote for change in August. I’m the change,” he said.
Earlier, Awiti had secured the release of a group of youths, who had been locked up at the Bamburi police station, following a confrontation with county inspectorate officers over the filthy state of the Kongowea Market.
He said the arrest of the youths hurt business, because there was no coordination. The traders had complained of the unhygienic working conditions at the market and had threatened not pay for their stalls, unless garbage was cleared.
However, the argument degenerated into a confrontation that led to their arrest. Awiti challenged the county to clean up the market, instead of harassing traders. “Instead of terrorising traders, the county government should remove the garbage that is not only an eyesore, but a health hazard,” he said.