By Abdimalik Hajir

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama received widespread condemnation for threatening to forcefully evict traders at renowned suq mugdi (Dark Market) over the market’s facelift.

From human right activists to political leaders, residents asked Governor Jama to deal with traders in a humane manner devoid of threats and intimidation, noting that the majority depends on the market for their family’s upkeep.

Visibly angry, the Governor told traders that he would have forcefully evicted them or order their arrest at that point but given them only three days to clear their merchandise.

“All licenses of shops who sell their products outside their shops should immediately be cancelled, and all those who are selling on road reserves should be moved by Wednesday,” the governor said while addressing the traders at the market.

Nathif said President Ruto couldn’t go into the market during his visit as traders had blocked the entrance, a matter he said will not be tolerated adding that the roads were meant to offer essential services such as ambulances and fire fighters during emergencies.

“We won’t listen that you don’t have an alternative place, what we are looking for is to clear these entrances. I came to clear all of you today and arrest the rest but I have given you until Wednesday to clear,” he said.

The governor was accompanied by County commissioner Mohamed Mwaboza and other county officials.

However speaking to Frontier Online , Baraki ward representative Hassan Geley termed the governor’s remarks as ‘very heartless and cruel’ adding that failure by the municipality to plan should not inconvenience innocent and poor traders.

He claimed that traders are forced to sell on roadside because the municipality officials denied them new stalls and sold out asking the governor instead of threatening traders to focus his energy on his officials.

“The Governor should adopt a principle of no harm to the traders considering that we are approaching the holy month of Ramadhan, our people have many challenges including water crises and it seems the governor is now out to destroy the livelihood of these people,” he said.

Chairman Garissa Human right network Muktar Dahir Osman said the governor should first clear the mess created by his officials and should stop threatening traders who he said are paying revenue to the county.

“Where was he to threaten traders whose livelihood depends on the market when his officials have created the current mess, these traders paid a lot of money to be allocated where they are now,” he claimed.

Osman said the county has a lot of challenges from dirt within the Garissa municipality to unplanned town, a matter he said the governor needs to put into consideration.

An activist Fatuma Bathi, said its sad that the governor can threaten vulnerable people looking for their livelihood instead of dealing with them in a very humane way.

“We are shocked that people are threatened with forceful eviction just like that, there are laws in this country, the governor can convene stakeholders including the traders for a solution instead of threatening to flash them out,” she said.

She noted that adequate notice should also be given to the traders for them to plan.

“These are vulnerable mothers who have families to raise, children to pay school fees for, you can’t just wake up one day and threaten to evict them or arrest them,” she added.