Traders read mischief in allocation of stalls at Garissa’s new Orahey Modern market
By Issa Hussein |
The new Orahey Modern Market, introduced by former Garissa Governor Ali Korane as a flagship project, was intended to alleviate obstructions caused by traders along the busy Posta Road in Garissa town.
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Traders from the Garissa Orahey open-air market, located along Posta Road, stormed the municipality offices today to protest the allocation of stalls at the newly constructed Orahey Modern Market.
The new Orahey Modern Market, unveiled by former Garissa Governor Ali Korane as a flagship project, was intended to alleviate obstructions caused by traders along the busy Posta Road in Garissa town.
However, for vendors like Issa Ibrahim and Abdifatah Mohamed, the transition poses a struggle to balance modernisation with practical needs like the comfort of the traders, the safety of goods, and the prioritisation of members.
Traders led by Issa and Abdifatah alleged that the newly constructed market, intended to relocate them from the open-air market, was unfairly awarded to individuals who were not market members.
"How do you expect us to move from the roadside open-air market when we didn't receive stalls and tables? The beneficiaries bribed their way to secure the new stalls," Issa questioned.
A group of women rallied in support of him, expressing their determination to resist any efforts to forcibly relocate them to the new market.
“We will oppose your bulldozers and the new market for failure to heed our plea," he threatened.
The new Orahey Modern Market in Garissa Town. (Photo: Issa Hussein)
Sahan Ali Aden, a vegetable and fruit vendor, stated that she has been a trader at the Orahey open-air market for the last 30 years and that she will not relocate from her big grocery store to a "toilet-size stall."
Another trader, Fatuma Aden, a long-time market trader, stood by her newly constructed stall, her voice tinged with discontent. "Here at Orahey, I built a structure to both sell and securely store my goods overnight," she explained. "Yet, at the new market, I've been allocated just a tiny table stall in an open-air building. I have nowhere to store my items safely. It's not fair."
Her plight highlights broader concerns about the adequacy and fairness of recent market changes, revealing a deeper struggle for vendors accustomed to a different standard of security and service.
However, The Eastleigh Voice established that the new market was met with mixed reactions: some traders opposed it, while others welcomed the development and were willing to relocate.
While some traders resisted the relocation, citing issues like receiving tables instead of stalls and feeling excluded, others were ready to transition to the new stalls.
Traders address the media outside Garissa Municipality offices in Garissa on Monday, August 12, 2024. (Photo: Issa Hussein)
Garissa Municipality CEO Mohamed Hassan Osman denied accusations of corruption and exclusion of the rightful beneficiaries from the distribution of retail stalls and table stalls in an interview with The Eastleigh Voice at his office.
The CEO said those who were protesting today at the municipality offices were primarily based at Garissa's Soko Mugdi market.
"Yes, some traders from the Orahey open-air market were among the protestors." There were very few who protested against the size of the retail and table stalls awarded to them; they needed extra stalls to accommodate their large-scale businesses, and this is a challenge since the modern market was designed to accommodate one single trader per stall," he claimed.
Mohammed addressed the situation by pointing out that the trader leading the demonstration was an official committee member at Soko Mugdi and was wrongfully demanding a stall in a market where he did not belong.
He clarified that the newly constructed modern market features 202 retail stalls and 216 tables, and despite its size limitations, it is designed to accommodate the traders from the Orahey open-air market who had been given notice to vacate and decongest Posta Road.
Mohamed Hassan also urged anyone with evidence of corruption to submit it for investigation and coordinate with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for further action.
Municipality CEO Mohamed Hassan Osman during the interview with The Eastleigh Voice on Monday, August 12, 2024. (Photo: Issa Hussein)Reader comments
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