Traders in Roysambu counting loses after overnight demolition of business structures – PHOTOS
Small scale traders at Roysambu area, Nairobi County on Sunday morning woke up to a rude shock of their demolished business structures along the busy Thika Super highway.
It is not clear whether the demolition exercise was carried out by the county government or Kenya Road Authority as it happened in Githurai a week ago.
One trader, Ms Rose Sigara, who arrived in the morning ready to sell pineapples, could not hide her frustrations.
“We were away when this took place and we wonder why they did not alert us,” she said.
PULLED DOWN
She said that those responsible for the demolition could have worked with the county government to get them an alternative place to operate from.
Her sentiments were echoed by Mr Joshua Otieno who said that the demolition took place with some of his merchandise were in the structures.
He said for the four years he has operated in the place business has been booming.
“Nobody alerted us about the demolition and that is why I’m mad at whoever did it. We only heard rumours that there was a plan to pull down the structures but no official communication was made to us,” said Mr Otieno.
However, locals welcomed the move saying that the structures were serving as hideouts for criminals at night.
CRIMINAL HIDEOUTS
“I’m happy that the structures have at last been pulled down. They used be hideouts for criminals who would ambush and rob members of the public,” said Zacharia Ongaga, an area resident.
Another resident, Ms Teresa Obare, said that she was once attacked just after she alighted from a bus at Roysambu. She welcomed the demolition exercise.
“If the traders could have hired a person to keep an eye at the area at night then we could have felt for them,” she said.
The demolition of structures along the busy super highway kicked off two weeks ago.
Last week, traders at Githurai engaged police in running battles as they opposed a demolition move by KENHA.