Busia landlords want scrap metal business ban reinstated

Speaking on Friday, they said the lifting of the ban in April 26, last year has come with loses as vandals return to damage property.

One landlady said the vandals no longer spare anything metallic. They even steal metallic utensils, she said.

Metallic electric metre boxes have been a key target for the vandals in Teso North, the landlords said.

In Amagoro town for example, some commercial buildings have lost metre boxes after being vandalised.

Mary Walumbe, a landlady, said those perpetuating vandalism move from one plot to another scavenging for anything metallic.

“It is really bad. They came and removed my power metre protector and left. If this is what compelled the government to ban this business, then it is high time the ban be slapped again,” Walumbe said.

On April 24 when the Star visited Busia town, the situation was the same.

Landlords complained of the resumption of vandalism, calling on the government to come out bold and firm and regulate the trade.

They said it should be mandatory for all scrap metal traders to reveal the source of their material to authorities.

Benson Nyongesa said unless the government acts and firmly regulates the business, the vandals may target metallic property in institutions including schools and hospitals where security is limited.

Late year in January, then President Uhuru Kenyatta banned the exportation and any dealings in scrap metal following vandalism that had hit the power distribution sector.

Uhuru then said no dealer would be allowed to engage in the trade until proper guidelines are instituted to regulate the scrap metal industry.

The ban came as the country witnessed a rise in the number of vandalism cases primarily of power lines.

Uhuru said Kenya had witnessed destruction of sign boards and towers of transmission lines as he illustrated a case where in Naivasha unknown people intentionally unbolted a transmission line and masts “to create chaos and havoc”.

Dealers in the sector, however, after the ban pleaded with the government to lift it as their businesses, which they claimed they relied on to make a living , were closing.

At the time the government slapped the ban, the country had witnessed a breakdown at Kenya Power’s transmission line, a development that caused a blackout that affected the power distributor’s clients across Kenya’s major cities including Nairobi.

In Busia, landlords expressed fear that some businesses may directly suffer as a result of the resumption of vandalism.

“If their target is metres boxes, it means soon we might not have power,” one landlady said.

“I have a refrigerator that is safely secured in a metallic booth. If they come for the booth, that means my fridge will be at risk of being stolen; if they do not go away with it.”

The January 2022 ban was lifted after the government said the resumption of the scrap metal business will be done in phases.

Then Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina said the order would take effect beginning May last year.

Maina said the directive would be implemented progressively as the government seeks to allow only licensed business people to undertake scrap metal business.

 

 

 

 

-Edited by SKanyara