This archive report was first published on 13 January 2020.
Published on January 13, 2020
Nyeri Senator Ephraim Maina has vowed to defend the rights of traders in Karatina town, assuring them that they will not be evicted without a suitable alternative site.
Leaders in Nyeri County have come to the rescue of over 2,000 traders in Karatina and Chaka towns, who were issued with a five-day eviction notice by the Kenya Railways Corporation.
The traders were ordered to vacate the rail line reserves to give way for the pending full possession and refurbishment of lines by the corporation.
However, Senator Maina, who held a meeting with the traders in Karatina town, said they would not be evicted without an alternative site to do business.
"I will continue to defend your rights to conduct business in this town. The five-day eviction notice will not hold. The government will address your concerns," he said.
Area MP Kanini Kega also assured the traders in Chaka town that they would not be evicted until the multi-billion shilling Chaka market was completed.
The market was commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta in late 2016, and so far, the national government has spent Sh431 million on the first phase, which is 89 per cent complete.
