Traders at the busy Lugulu market on the border of Webuye West and Webuye East constituencies have a reason to smile after a Nairobi-based businessman offered to put up modern toilets for them in the market. This is after West Media highlighted the predicaments the traders were going through a few months ago.
The traders led by their chairperson Catherine Kubende and general secretary Benard Kimokoti had made several appeals to businessman-cum-politician Noah Chiuli to help them set up the facility to avoid a disease outbreak in the market after the Bungoma County government failed to keep their pledge of constructing toilets and setting up a water connection system.
The market, which serves residents from the two aforementioned constituencies, had lacked toilets for a while. “We have suffered for quite some time due to the lack of toilets and we had fears that there could be a cholera or any disease outbreak,” said Mrs Kubende.
The traders also complained about the lack of a proper market space to help them sell their produce, an issue which has forced them to sell their goods along the Webuye-Kitale road, posing an accident risk.
Kimokot said that as traders, they were very unhappy with their leaders because they give tax yet the County can’t set up toilets and modern market stalls. They’ve urged the County administration and other leaders from the region to come out and support what Noah Chiuli has done.
‘We want to thank Noah for giving us a New Year gift by building this structure, something which could’ve been accomplished a long time ago by the relevant authorities, since we’ve been relieving ourselves in nearby bushed,” said Kimokot, “We do not want leaders who after being elected, disappear and hide from the electorate.”
The traders said that some markets across the County like Chwele, Kimilili and Webuye already had clean toilets. Noah Chiuli, who has expressed interest in vying for the Webuye East parliamentary seat in 2022, said that he will continue supporting residents in whatever small way he can.