Mombasa small scale traders complain of harassment

Small scale businesspeople in Mombasa are up in arms over what they say is targeted operations by the Mombasa county inspectorate.

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The businessmen, led by businessman and former Nyali MP Hezron Awiti, on Wednesday said county inspectorate officers have over the last few weeks intensified operations targeting them, confiscating their wares and refusing to release them for weeks.

“What we need is a good working relationship not this antagonistic relationship that we are seeing that could easily destroy the county on certain lines,” Awiti said.

Speaking during a press conference at Lotus Hotel, the former MP called on the Abdulswamad Nassir-led administration to listen to the cry of the small scale business people because they contribute a significant portion to the county’s coffers.

“The other day, I talked about the office being turned into a family affair. I see they improved on that. Today, I am here because of the complaints from the small scale businesspeople,” he said.

However, head of the Mombasa county inspectorate Charles Changawa on Friday told the Star they do not target anyone, especially the non-natives, because Governor Nassir has explicitly warned against such.

“Our governor hates it when they complain they are being targeted. He doesn’t want to hear that. He wants all residents treated equally,” Changawa said on phone.

The head of inspectorate said they have had talks with the small scale businesspeople but some of them have refused to heed their agreement.

Stephen Konde said some individuals in the current regime have been harassing small scale business people and hawkers.

He called on the Abdulswamad Nassir administration to intervene saying the leadership might not know what is happening on the ground.

Wilson Lukati, from Tudor ward, said Jua Kali people doing business people along the road from MM Shah comprehensive school in Buxton all the way to the Technical University of Mombasa have borne the brunt of harassment.

The business people along this road sell vegetables mostly, but some sell mitumba clothes in the evenings, and usually collect their waste after business every day so that they do not leave the area dirty.

“Some of these people have been doing business in the evening for ages, even before devolution kicked in,” Lukati said.

However, he claims that county inspectorate officers have been pouncing on them from time to time, engaging them in cat and mouse games, confiscating their wares.

“Those who are lucky escape while those who are not lucky get arrested and their wares confiscated. But the worst thing is, those confiscated wares are never returned. So, we wonder where they go,” Lukati said.

The small scale businessman said they have tried reaching out to Governor Nassir but all in vain.

“We are sorry we have to use this forum because every other means has failed. We ask that the county provides an alternative area for these people to do their business because they pay taxes,” Lukati said.

He noted the area is strategic because of the high volume of people passing through area.

“That is why Mombasa Cement has also strategically put a water tanker there for the people passing through the area to drink water. It is a high-volume area,” Lukati said.

He noted that the matter is now being interpreted differently by residents.

“It may not be your intention but it is seen as an attack on a certain section of residents, which might lead to an us-versus-them kind of situation which is not good for the peace and cohesion of Mombasa county,” Lukati said.

However, Changawa said the MM Shah area is a school area and the school has written to the county almost six times complaining about the activities going on outside the school.

He noted that some street urchins have been mixing with the hawkers there and selling bhang.

“That is the concern the school administration has. They fear soon, the urchins may start selling bhang or items laced with bhang to the school going children. How would you feel if your son or daughter comes home high because they bought cookies laced with bhang outside their school?” Changawa posed.

He said they have talked to the businesspeople there and even agreed on some things but they still are adamant on selling their items there.

“That is why we take their wares, confiscate them for two or three weeks so that they feel the pain. We then eventually return them,” Changawa said.

Godfrey Adika, a businessman in the Mombasa central business district (CBD), said small scale businesspeople in Mwembe Tayari and Splendid areas also face harassment from county inspectorate officers.

“Some women with their children who are doing small businesses in those areas are sometimes chased away, with the children falling dangerously as they see their mothers run away,” Adika said.

He called on Nassir to find ways of having an engagement with the small scale businesspeople.

However, Changawa said they had had several meetings with the Splendid hawkers and traders and warned them against blocking the walkways with their goods.

“We have very beautiful red walkways that have been constructed. But these walkways have been taken over by the hawkers, forcing pedestrians to walk on the roads which is dangerous,” he said.

He noted that the Mombasa CBD cannot be turned into a market place where even maize roasters are using wheelbarrows to block the walkway.

“Have you gone to any major city that is a tourism hub and found hawkers roasting maize on the sidewalks? It only happens in Mombasa,” Changawa said.

He said they have had talks with boutique owners in the areas to remove the mannequins on the walkways, and some have done so while others refuse to do so.

“Those who refuse, and they are only a few, have had the mannequins confiscated,” Changawa said.

Josphat Omunyin, a small scale business person, said some fines have been imposed on tuktuk and matatu operators.

He said those found to have obstructed traffic are forced to pay fines before they pay for the monthly tickets.

“You find your vehicle registration number has been flagged so that when you try to pay for the monthly ticket online, you are told you cannot do it because you have a fine that must be paid first,” Omunyin said.

He said for tuktuk operators who commit an obstruction offense, they are forced to pay a fine of up to Sh5,000 before being allowed to pay the Sh800 monthly parking fee.

Omunyin said on Monday at around 11am at Splendid area, hawkers had their wares confiscated, some destroyed while the owners were arrested.

He said some of the people in operations targeting hawkers are retirees from the inspectorate.

However, Changawa said no retiree ever comes back to work and if they do, they do so illegally.

He said the county inspectorate will soon have a meeting with the leaders of the different sections of businesspeople to agree on what needs to be done.

The county, he said, has to have some organization as it aspires to be one of the best destinations in the world.

“This cannot happen when we have people doing business on the walkways while pedestrians walk dangerously on the roads,” Changawa said.

He denied that upcountry people are targeted.

“I have personally talked to some of these hawkers and small scale businesspeople. In have had almost 20 meetings with different sets of businesspeople over how we should all operate,” he said.

He said his officers do not use forced unless they are forced to when trying to maintain sanity and order on the streets of Mombasa.

At the Royal Castle area along Moi Avenue, traders are allowed to trade during weekends.

“And it is working very nicely. We even close the road because of them. That is how things should be done,” he said.

He said respect should be a two-way traffic and all must take responsibility for the county.