Traders count losses after KeNHA demolishes stalls on major road

Traders go through wreckage after KENHA demolished their shops built on a road reserve along Kisumu-Busia highway. [Michael Mute, Standard]

Traders in Maseno are in shock after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) demolished their shops built on road reserves along the Kisumu–Busia highway, stretching from Maseno University in Kisumu County all the way to Luanda in Vihiga County.

Josephine Rawaka, a mother who operated a kibanda where she sold mangoes and chips, said the demolition has left her family helpless as it was their major source of income.

“We just woke up and found our stalls demolished. We don’t know what we to do because this was what we depended on to survive,” she said.

Another trader, Caroline, recounted how KeNHA officers descended on her business in the morning. She said the officials demolished her structure despite her pleas.

“I am really heartbroken about this unfortunate occurrence. I have lost over Sh400,000, yet the beacon shows my container was not on the road reserve. Some women whose stalls were closer to the road were not touched,” she said.

According to Caroline, the notice was issued five months ago but she feels she did not deserve the demolition because her stall was located far from the road. “This is what I depended on, and now it has all been reduced to nothing,” she lamented.

In Maseno, businessman Benjamin Barasa also criticised KeNHA’s move, accusing the agency of ignoring the poor state of the Kisumu–Busia road.

“What saddens us is why KeNHA is busy demolishing our stalls but not fixing the road. They gave us notice in 2018, demolished stalls then, and promised to build the road. But until now, nothing has been done. The Kisumu–Busia road is in a terrible condition, full of potholes, and accidents keep happening again and again,” he said.

Residents and traders in the affected areas are now appealing to KeNHA to ensure the rehabilitation of the road as promised, instead of only rendering small traders jobless by demolishing structures.