Maseno based traders have raised an alarm over the increasing attack on their stalls by monkeys that are in search of food.
The most affected traders being grocery and vegetable dealers said they no longer conduct their businesses in peace due to the loss caused by those monkeys.
Traders who talked to this writer said the time those monkeys invade their stalls are unpredictable and when they attack they go in large numbers.
“They just come at any time, getting everybody unaware. Nowadays we conduct our businesses in fear because we have already made enough losses to our business and we do not know when their owners will restrain them fro coming to our stalls,” said Catherine Keino, a trader at Maseno.
These traders said they are forced to display a few goods for easy management just in case the donkeys invade.
“Some customers do not ask for goods, they buy them when they see them on display, so when we hide them we lose a lot,” said Martin Muniala.
The traders have most of the time engaged in running battles with monkeys chasing them away whenever they invade their stalls, something which is time and energy consuming. Even with this they are yet to find a solution to the problem.
Sometimes the process of running after the monkeys sometimes turns risky as the primates turn hostile.
The monkey menace has risen due to the acute drought that is being experienced in Maseno that has led to inadequate feed for most animals hence interference with the humans.