This archive report was first published on 4 July 2020.
On June 21, 100-odd traders in Busia town were affected by an eviction carried out under the cover of night. Their business structures had their doors and windows removed.
However, the High Court in Busia has since intervened, issuing a court order that bars private developers from interfering with the land. The court also directed that the traders' stalls should not be demolished.
According to court documents, the case involves 22 individuals, including Agatha Nabwire, Denis Obanda, and Raphael Onyango, who are suing private developers over the eviction. The traders claim they were allocated the land in 1995 by the defunct local authority and have been paying land rates to the county government annually.
Justice Anne Amollo of the Environment and Land Court has scheduled an inter parties hearing for July 16. Until then, the traders have been granted permission to use the land for any purpose.
