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The Mombasa government has apologised to traders and shoppers at the famous Kongowea market for the heaps of garbage that have become an eyesore.

Trade executive Mohamed Osman said on Thursday the mounting heaps have been caused by a breakdown of one of the shovels that collect and transport the garbage from the market to Mwakirunge dumpsite for the last three days.

“But the county government has put in place several measures to ensure we collect that garbage and take it to Mwakirunge,” he said.

Osman spoke on the sidelines of the exporters’ round table meeting organised by the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (Keproba) in Mombasa.

He said the county has placed two permanent trucks at the market dedicated to collecting the garbage from the market.

A third truck makes the trip to the market from the CBD daily.

One of the largest open-air markets in East Africa, Kongowea hosts about 40,000 traders both inside the main market and outside it, with thousands of shoppers visiting daily.

The market produces about 45 tonnes of garbage every day, which is picked by three trucks and transported to the main Mwakirunge dumpsite in Kisauni subcounty.

However, because of the breakdown of one of the trucks, the heaps have overwhelmed the remaining two.

On Monday, the traders were up in arms over the garbage that has heaped in the market exposing them to health risks, and scaring away clients, who fear the vegetables they buy from the market may be contaminated.

They said the heaps of garbage, although scheduled to be collected three times a day, is never collected as frequently.

The traders, led by their chairman, Julius Mitegi, said they have held several meetings but nothing has improved.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, he said they are tired of holding meetings that do not solve anything.

However, on Thursday, Osman said cleanliness starts with the traders, whom he accused of failing to adhere to the set rules and regulations.

“We have placed two trucks permanently at the market for them to put the garbage in the truck. But this does not happen. They throw the garbage haphazardly,” the trade executive said.

Osman said the county has resolved to enforce strictly the county regulations on garbage collection.

He said all residents, not only traders, are required to first sort their garbage before placing them at designated areas.

Failure to do this will attract legal action against the perpetrators.

“From today, we have our staff, led by the chief officer, who will camp at the market to clean it up after which we will enforce order and sanity,” Osman said.

He said his department sponsored the Market Management Bill, which is in the county assembly, and which when passed will guide the management of the markets in the county.

“Our biggest duty as a county government is to ensure a conducive environment for traders to do business. But it is the duty of the traders, as stakeholders, to organise themselves and ensure they conduct themselves in a manner that will allow sanity to prevail,” Osman said.

He said there was a problem on the county government side that led to the situation at the market but promised to address it as soon as possible.

“We assure the traders that after two days, there will no longer be any garbage in the market. We also assure them that such a mess will not happen again,” Osman said.