• The traders popularly known as ‘hustlers’ said they had been chased away from the streets and told not to operate until after the conference ends on Friday.
• Security was tightened on the streets and Uasin Gishu county askaris have been going round to ensure hawkers do not operate on the streets.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
Small-scale traders in Eldoret have protested against being harassed and stopped from operating on the streets of the town because of the ongoing devolution conference.
The traders popularly known as ‘hustlers’ said they had been chased away from the streets and told not to operate until after the conference ends on Friday.
Security was tightened on the streets and Uasin Gishu county askaris went round to ensure the hawkers stay away from the streets, which are teeming with thousands of guests who are there for the conference.
Jane Njoroge, who roasts maize in the town, said she had hoped that the devolution conference would bring good fortune for her because she had expected to make higher sales.
“This is a clear indication that these people do not really care about the hustlers. They chase us from our usual areas of operation so that their big cars can pass yet our children have to sleep hungry,” Njoroge said.
Hawkers Peter Mwathi and Jane Kibet said they had been asked not to go anywhere near the Eldoret Sports club, the venue of the 10th Devolution Conference.
“The conference was the best opportunity for us to reap some benefits of devolution. However, we are now considered a nuisance and forced to operate in the backstreets,” Mwathi said.
More than 15,000 guests are expected at the conference which will be opened by President William Ruto on Wednesday.
Last week, hundreds of suppliers and service providers in Uasin Gishu also claimed that they had been sidelined by organisers of the conference.
The suppliers had also hoped to cash in on the activities at the meeting.
Eldoret-based firms claimed that only their colleagues, mostly from Nairobi, had been awarded tenders and contracts to provide services and equipment for the conference hosted by the Council of Governors.
"As hosts, we needed to be fully involved. Even if Nairobi companies take up much of the work, at least 40 per cent should have been left for us,” trader James Rop said.
He said the suppliers in Eldoret have the capacity to provide all the event requirements, including provision of tents, catering services, audio visual equipment, furniture, power supply, toilets, among other things. He said they were ignored over claims that they had no capacity.
“We have so many local companies with the capacity to provide what was needed but we have all been ignored,” he said.
Rop said they have petitioned Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii to ensure they are not locked out completely.
“As our governor, he should ensure that we also get some of the benefits that will come with the conference,” he said.
In response, Bii said the CoG was largely in charge of the conference but the local traders have been involved especially hotelier, transport, entertainment and general support staff.
The CoG denied the accusations by the traders, saying many firms that tendered did not have the capacity to supply what was required, especially the main structures for the conference.
CoG events coordinator James Kamau said they had meetings with the local business community to elaborate on the services and supplies that could be sourced locally.
“We agreed that some of the requirements like those needed for the presidential team and the main conference structures had to be sourced from Nairobi to ensure there was no taking chance. We just have to be sure,” he said.
Kamau insists that all the other requirements, especially food items and personnel, would be sourced from Eldoret.
He said the local hotel industry would also reap big from the conference.