By Betty Luke
A section of Isiolo local leaders have urged the government to compensate traders who lost their properties worth millions in the Monday night’s inferno at Mathare market.
Led by Mwenda Thuranira, they said it was sad that despite similar occurrences in the past, victims were yet to get justice and had not been assisted to restart their businesses.
“It is so sad that this has been the trend since 2013 no culprit has ever been brought to book. I condemn this kind of act and ask the authorities to probe the issue and bring the culprits to book,” he said.
Mr Thuranira who emerged third in August 9 Isiolo North MP contest said compensating the victims would enable them reconstruct their shops and help stabilize the economy.
While demanding that an alternative temporal market be set up for the affected traders, Mr Thuranira rooted for formation of a taskforce to help in identification of victims so that only the victims are compensated.
“I request both the National and County governments to fast track the process of constructing a new, modern market for the traders,” he appealed.
Ms Milkah Kawira who unsuccessfully vied for Woman Representative on TSP ticket appealed for a lasting solution to fire tragedies saying they were exposing small traders to untold suffering.
“The victims of the disaster require urgent intervention to reconstruct and rehabilitate their shops and I plead with the incoming county government to find a lasting solution to fire outbreaks in our markets,” Ms Kawira shared.
Isiolo County governor-elect Abdi Ibrahim Hassan Guyo promised to help those affected by the tragedy once sworn in as the county boss (tomorrow) and appealed to the local authorities to launch investigation into the cause.
“I appeal to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to immediately commence investigations into the cause of the fire as we work on prevention measures to curb such huge losses in the future,” shared Mr Guyo.
