Municipal council of Kisii has evicted small scale traders from Kisii town’s pavements and drains in its efforts to streamline human and vehicular traffic in the urban centre.
Board vice-chairman, Pius Abuki over his cell phone accused the traders of frustrating the World Bank funded project to bring sanity to the chaotic town’s streets.
Abuki denied the traders’ claims that they had been ambushed and that the authorities were against their means of survival by destroying their small scale ventures.
On completion of the exercise,the traders will be moved to designated areas including covid19 free Daraja-mbili market,he disclosed.
County government enforcement officers struck last night,pulled down structures erected on the prohibited areas and allegedly carted away some of the traders wares.
The swoop was among several others conducted by the municipal authorities who disapproved the traders’ invasion of the pavements and drainage channels mounting structures to conduct various businesses.
Traders interviewed admitted they had been served with notice but complained the authorities pounced before its expiry.
Others also claimed their goods had been damaged while others could not be traced.
The most affected traders were timber dealers and its associated products including coffins who were seen removing goods they could salvage.
They decried loss of informal employment by several youths working in the businesses and lack of involvement in the exercise through public participation.