Traders operating small businesses around the hospital premises of a provincial general hospital in Mombasa County, are crying foul over what they are terming as extortion from the askaris.
The watchmen have made it a habit of collecting money and food stuff from the traders so as to allow to run their daily businesses.
A fruit vendor, Mutinda, says the watchmen always take sh200 and fruits worth sh50 from him on a daily basis as a bribe.
Another vendor, Ali, who sells eggs also lamented on the same issue saying that he actually does not get any profit because the askaris take it all from him. He does not seem to understand why they do this yet they earn a salary every end month.
The traders, who are planning to stage a demonstration, have asked the hospital administration and the municipal council of Mombasa to swing into action and bring to an end this unwanted behaviour from their watchmen.