Outcry as food kiosks on Waiyaki Way demolished

Several traders operating along Waiyaki Way in Nairobi’s Westlands area were on Tuesday left counting losses after their makeshift stalls were demolished.

Most of the affected traders are small-time food vendors who had been operating their businesses at a spot just between ABC and Safaricom.

Sarah Iswaro – one of the affected food vendors – told Wananchi Reporting that she had suffered extensive losses due to the demolitions.

“I received a phone call this morning informing me that my Kibanda had been demolished. I am now left with food which my staff had already prepared, because no one told us that this would happen,” said Iswaro who has been running her food business at the spot for eight years.

Traders could be seen hurriedly sifting through the rubble trying to salvage whatever remained of what used to be their place of work.

Officers from the county government and a retinue of police officers oversaw the demolitions.

“This has been my place of work for the last eight years. My small business employed more than six people. Now, all of us are jobless,” said Iswaro.

Her neighbour Jones Kazee also lost his fruit business.

“I have been selling fruits here for the last 12 years. This was so sudden,” said Kazee who now has to find a way to quickly sell his huge stock of fruits before they go bad.

Some of the traders temporarily moved their belongings to the side of the road as they pondered their next move.

The makeshift food vendors have been serving hundreds of customers – majority of them being Kenyans who work in offices along Waiyaki Way.