KeNHA Officials Demolish Several Businesses, Leave Traders Stranded

Several traders are counting losses after their businesses were brought down by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) officials on Wednesday, September 24.
The demolitions were done along the Kericho-Litein highway to pave the way for the expansion of the road, which has, in recent months, experienced frequent traffic congestion.
Thedestroyed structures are said to have been constructed close to the roadand on public land, which belongs to KeNHA, thus necessitating the action.
While lamenting the demolitions, the residents accused President William Ruto’s administration of going against its initial promise of protecting the small-scale traders.
According to them, the demolition of their shops had left them helpless since most of them depended on the businesses for their livelihood.
“We have just been ambushed today by vehicles from KeNHA. They have demolished several shops and destroyed a lot of goods. But this is not what our President promised us,” said one of the traders.
“We have been earning from our businesses to pay school fees and feed our children. They have destroyed everything, yet the President has been telling us about the bottom-up,” another added.
During the demolitions, a contingent of police officers was deployed to oversee the operations and to stop any attempts at retaliation by members of the public.
The Litein incident comes hardly a fortnight after a similar scenario was witnessed in Luanda and Maseno areas located along the Kisumu-Busia highway.
The demolitions along the Kisumu-Busia highway took place on September 11 after KeNHA officials destroyed several stalls and shops at Maseno Townand Luanda Market to pave the way for the road’s rehabilitation.
Addressing the press moments after the demolitions, the traders accused the governmentof allegedly failing to notify them in advance.
According to a trader in Maseno, the last time KeNHA issued a notice on planned demolitions was in 2018, and since then, no other notice has been issued regarding the road’s maintenance plans.