Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka has said that the ongoing demonstrations kicked off after wide consultation with the business community in Bungoma and Kanduyi town centres.
Lusaka insisted that leaders and traders were notified beforehand and were given enough time to vacate before the demolitions began and added that the process is for the common good of revamping the urban area.
“I agree that maybe moving forward, more consultations need to be done, but honestly we met all these leaders and agreed that it was the right way to go,” Lusaka said during a stakeholders’ forum on Friday.
The Governor said that the process will not interfere with private property and that small-scale traders will be given alternative locations to continue with their businesses and warned against occupying public land.
“We want the best for our people, and what you are seeing is part of the larger scheme to see the best of our town,” he said, promising to form a committee to address concerns of affected traders.
Leaders across the board, including Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli, have come out to harshly condemn the ongoing exercise that has seen disruption of both small and big business, among them Khetias Supermarket.
“The county government would have considered engaging all traders before demolishing their stalls, these are the people who contribute greatly to revenue collection and growth of Bungoma,” Wakoli said.
Sam Oduor is the editor-in-chief at the Western Kenya Times who leverages the power of the Internet in telling stories that shape opinions.
