Kongowea traders raise health concern over uncollected garbage
Traders at Kongowea in Mombasa County have raised health concerns over heaps of uncollected garbage choking the retail market.
They accuse the county government of abdicating its role of collecting garbage, forcing them to sell their wares on top of stinking garbage.
The traders who have been suffering in silence for fear of victimisation, now claim the stench from the mountains of decomposing garbage, has made their working conditions unbearable.
The traders led by Kongowea Market chair Aisha Khamis, questioned why the county government has withdrawn garbage trucks, with full knowledge that Kongowea is the largest garbage producer in Mombasa, therefore posing a health crisis.
“We are at risk of contracting diseases because we are forced to sell our vegetables on top of stinking garbage, this is unacceptable,” stated Khamis.
Decaying filth has spread along the Kongowea main entrance at the tomato section, a situation worsened by rain water, putting the lives of hundreds of traders at risk.
According to the market’s tomato section secretary Julius Mutegi, they will stage a protest to compel governor Hassan Joho’s administration to initiate a cleaning process. They are also demanding an increase of garbage trucks to serve the market.
“We are very unhappy with the county government, they are asking us to collect the garbage ourselves yet we pay for the services.
We cannot continue suffering at the expense of an incompetent government,” said Mutegi.
They have also threatened to stop paying monthly licence charges to the devolved unit because they “don’t get value for their money.”
“Why should we continue paying for daily charges if we continue to work in such an environment? We will need to stop paying, so that they can clean up the mess first,”said Kavoi Mutua, a trader.
