Traders in Lamu town are incurring losses after heavy rain that has pounded the region for the last one week made them unable to move their wares.
Other traders reported that their wares went stale after being rained on.
Traders operating inside the Lamu Municipal Market and those at the Mkunguni open-air market said the downpour has made it impossible for them to open their stalls.
The Lamu Municipal Market has been in a bad state and always leaks damaging commodities.
The downpour also led to customer shortage as many people were unable to go into the markets.
Grocers and other traders dealing in perishable goods are worst hit as they have been forced to discard tonnes of spoiled goods daily.
Esther Mwaniki, a grocer, says many of them have had to discard multiple bags of groceries that have gone bad due to bad weather and the ensuing low customer base.
Mwaniki says for the past week, many traders have been forced to open their businesses very late in the day and close very early to escape the daily downpour.
Traders have called for the speedy renovation of the Lamu Municipal Market whose poor state continues to cost them millions in losses.
They are also calling on the county government to provide them with tents to prevent discontinuation of businesses when it rains.
Meanwhile, Lamu residents have appealed to the county government to repair the badly leaking drainage systems.
The situation has been worsened by the ongoing rains which have leaked waste from pipes into public places.
A number of streets have been rendered impassable by sewage and dirt.
Residents are concerned the situation could lead to an outbreak of related illnesses as the dirt could easily find its way into drinking water and food.
“During Ramadhan, foodstuffs are placed out in the open for sale. It's easy for such to be contaminated by this sewage water,” resident Salem Bora said.
