Business earnings in Naivasha have fallen by 70 per cent in the last month due to the coronavirus crisis.
Market traders are the worst-affected and they have urged the Nakuru county government to waive some of their fees and charges.
They made the request when police officers of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit donated masks and sanitiser to traders and boda boda operators in Mai Mahiu.
Boda boda operators also pleaded for a break until they can afford fees again.
The security officers who are based in Mai Mahiu raised funds and bought more than 1,000 masks for the boda boda operators and traders following an acute shortage of the protective gear.
Local boda boda chairman Francis Ng’ethe said the curfew and other virus control measures had greatly damaged their business.
He said many of them were unemployed and could not raise enough funds for house rent and fuel.
“We are asking the county government to waive the weekly fees they charge us and the landlords to also suspend collecting rents for two months,” he said.
Trader Sarah Wanjiru said losses were high in the Mai Mahiu market. The number of customers has fallen and the cost of basic items has risen sharply.
“The county government and landlords should understand our predicament and suspend any payment until the situation normalises,” she said.
The Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit boss Senior Sergeant Alfred Rioba said nearly all security officers rely on boa bodas for transport.
“We have decided to support the operators with our own funds because they play a critical role and in case one gets sick they can easily spread the disease,” he said.
He added that they would continue to support the boda boda operators and traders in the town as many of them could not afford to buy their own asks and sanitiser.
Meanwhile, the Nakuru government will fumigate all bus terminals and markets to stop the spread of the virus.
Medical Services Chief Officer Solomon Sirma said the fumigation was targeting areas with high population during the day.
Speaking in Naivasha, he said that the county was keen to make sure there are no positive cases.
“We shall make sure that all terminals and markets within the county are fumigated," he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
