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Traders accuse councillors and magistrate of grabbing Nyamira kiosk

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Published on Friday, 26 August 2011 07:27

Traders in Nyamira town council are now accusing local councilors of grabbling kiosk recently constructed at the Nyamira bus stage to themselves.

Traders confronted the Town Planning committee chairman Stanley Charana and

asked him to explain why he was allocated twelve modern kiosks in the town centre, leaving out hawkers with none.

 Mr Charana said his civic leaders had resolved to allocate the kiosks among themselves, which they later allocated to hawkers from their wards.

 But the traders led by the district Kenya Widows and Widowers’ district branch chairlady Ann Okerio, hawkers Cyprian Kerandi and George Morara accused the councilors of allocating the kiosks to their relatives and the remaining selling them for between Sh20, 000 and Sh120,000 depending on their sizes.

 “The kiosks were built using Local Government ministry’s funds and they were meant for the public but not for the councilors. We want the ministry concerned to intervene,” Mrs. Okerio said.

 Later, the hawkers regrouped and while carrying placards demonstrated in the town’s main streets.

 They asked the Kenya Ant-Corruption Commission (Kacc) to investigate suspected corruption in the allocation of the kiosks claiming that even senior government officers that included a magistrate benefitted.

 A Human Rights advocate Andrew Mandi said he had evidence that one of the beneficiaries was a magistrate who is also hearing a case involving the council.

 “I ask the Chief Justice to take action against this magistrate who has contravened the Judicial ethics,” Mr. Mandi, the High Court advocate said.