By Tobias Ogutu
There are some projects in the county intended for ordinary citizens, but the targeted groups often do not benefit from them. This is because some individuals within the county own these projects and allocate them to preferred recipients in exchange for a fee. Most counties in Kenya face this issue, yet those responsible for preventing such practices remain silent. In Kisumu County, such scenarios are common, and the county officials are aware of what is happening but turn a blind eye, implying their approval.
In Kisumu County, market stalls in places such as Maendeleo, Uhuru, Kibuye, and others were originally intended for ordinary citizens who were traders. However, these stalls actually belong to certain county employees who have rented them out to individual traders. When the stalls in Uhuru Market were being constructed, most traders believed they would be given the stalls for free and only be required to pay taxes. In reality, county officials had already divided the stalls among themselves and were the ones selling or renting them out to their preferred traders.
Mary Akatch recounts how she was optimistic about securing a stall in the new Uhuru Market Complex, having been a trader in the Central Business District (CBD) for many years. However, she was surprised when she was told she had to rent a stall from another individual affiliated with the County government. According to Akatch, she believed the government’s promise that every trader would be accommodated in the market, but she soon realized these were empty assurances. When the market was completed, people scrambled to secure stalls, and only those who could afford the required fees were able to obtain one.
Akatch recalls that individuals working in the county would demand high payments to sell a stall on your behalf or rent it out for monthly fees. Sharon Apondi admits that, despite having no money, she offered her body to a man from the county who had secured three stalls, hoping he would give her one. Although Sharon is one of the traders who have been paying taxes within the CBD, she also failed to secure a stall for free.
Indeed, projects intended to benefit ordinary citizens often fail to reach their target audience; instead, different groups of people end up benefiting. It is high time for the government to take responsibility for its people and eliminate these stakeholders who exploit citizens when projects are implemented to assist them.
