We will not pay taxes if market remains in filth, traders declare

A Nakuru county worker collects garbage at Molo Market on Monday. Traders have threatened to boycott paying taxes to force the county government to improve sanitation in the market. [PHOTO: KIPSANG JOSEPH/Standard]

Traders at Molo Retail Market have threatened to boycott paying revenue to the local government citing poor sanitation.

The claimed that the county government failed to collect garbage for two months forcing them to conduct business in an unhygienic environment.

This in turn led to huge losses as customers sought alternative markets in fear of contracting cholera and typhoid.

Environment Executive Richard Rop was forced to supervise collection of garbage within the market.

"We cannot even remember the last time this market was swept or the garbage collected because county officers are only interested in collecting levies," said Mary Muthoni, a trader.

The market has an estimated 1,000 traders who each pay a monthly levy of Sh360 to operate at the facility.

The angry traders accused Governor Kinuthia Mbugua's administration of making empty promises whenever they complained of the filth at the market.

The pit latrines that the traders are expected to use have broken doors and cracked walls, while others were already full. And during the rainy season, human waste from the filled up latrines flows to the market leading to the closure of a section of the market.

Joyce Wamboi sells fruits in the market barely one metre from the garbage collection area and her umbrella boarders the filthy dump site but it is no deterrence to her clients.

"The garbage has not been collected since December. Why should the government collect taxes yet heaps of trash and flies rule the market? We are not getting the services we deserve. If this continues, traders will abscond from paying taxes," she said.

Another trader, Samson Kamau said the county should collect waste in the market daily, being a fresh produce market that handles food stuffs. Rop said the garbage was uncollected because the two tractors allocated to the market had mechanical problems.

"It is true garbage has been lying here but it is only for two days because measures to ensure there is continuous garbage collection in all markets.

Trade and Tourism Executive Ann Njenga said the county would come up with measures to ensure there is continuous garbage collection in all market centres.