- The money was to be subdivided among different groups in the market, but they are crying foul as they are yet to receive a coin over two months later.
- Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura who was among the leaders who accompanied the traders to Karen said the money is yet to be given promising to give them feedback soon.
Image: John Kamau
Traders at Githurai market are now demanding a share of what Deputy President William Ruto promised them on October 21 last year, when they paid him a courtesy call at his Karen home.
Led by Sospeter Mwangi, the traders said at least 1,000 small-scale traders were invited to the official residence of the deputy president, who later promised to support their small businesses with Sh2 million.
The money was to be subdivided among different groups in the market, but they are crying foul as they are yet to receive the cash over two months later.
“We were hopeful that the money would go a long way in boosting our businesses but little did we know that we were being taken for a ride,” Mwangi said.
They are now calling on Ruto to come out and clear the air on whether he channeled the money through local leaders who took them to Karen and who may have kept the money to themselves or he is still holding on to his promise.
"He keeps on telling us about bottom up and we really believed him but he doesn't keep promises. Maybe he gave the money to our leaders but let him know that we have not received it," Mwangi said.
Mwangi said as leaders of the market, they are worried that violence might erupt at the facility since most of the traders are accusing them of pocketing the money.
“Some of the traders are accusing us of pocketing the money yet we haven’t received a dime. We are worried that they might come for our necks thinking we conned them.”
The small-scale traders said the UDA Presidential candidate had also promised them hundreds of wheelbarrows which are yet to be delivered to them, adding that attempts to reach out to leaders who took them to the Deputy President’s home have hit a snag.
"We were also promised wheelbarrows and we forwarded a list of those who wanted wheelbarrows but hata moja hatujapata," Kelly Rose Wambui, a trader, said.
Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura who was among the leaders who accompanied the traders to Karen said the money is yet to be given promising to give them feedback soon.
The deputy president is on record promising cash to groups of women and youth in his campaign rallies across the country, inviting chaos in some quarters as the dished amount is shared among the beneficiaries.
-Edited by SKanyara