Kenyan traders count their losses in South Sudan conflict

By OSINDE OBARE

South Sudan: For three weeks, Jeremiah Njoroge, a regular supplier of plastic containers to South Sudan has been out of business and jobless.

The conflict in the neighbouring country has halted the exportation of food and goods from Kitale to Juba, South Sudan’s’s capital city.

“I stopped supplying goods to Juba since the fighting erupted in the country and I’m now jobless,” says Njoroge, a father of four.

Without much challenge, the businessman has been earning income from supplying the goods to Juba.

But since the violence broke in the newly created country ranked as the poorest, many businesspeople in Kitale have been locked out of business.

According to Njoroge, over 300 traders who previously delivered the food and goods to South Sudan have been affected by the war, which has so far left more than 1,000 people dead and thousands displaced.

Furniture exporters to the country are also feeling the pain of losing lucrative business and are yet to come to terms with the violence that has rocked the country.

“Juba has been a good market for my furniture but since the violence started, I stopped delivering the items to the country because there is no peace,” lamented Rose Wanjiru.

Ms Wanjiru’s plan to expand her furniture workshop located in Line Moja remain shattered by the raging war pitting supporters of President Salva Kiir and his former Vice President Riek Machar.

“My plan was to expand my furniture workshop by purchasing new machines but my dream has been shattered by the fighting,” said Wanjiru.

Stocks of beds and tables, which Wanjiru expected to deliver to Juba last month, lay idle at her workshop.

“I had five workers but I have been forced to lay off three because there is no business to pay for their wages,” said Wanjiru.