Handcart pushers at Jamhuri Market in Thika, town have been discouraged from parking their carts in trenches to avoid blocking them.
The market chairman Anthony Mukiri speaking at the market on Tuesday, said many handcart pullers always park their 'mikokotenis' inside the trenches when not busy during the day and leave them there overnight.
"This is very irresponsible especially at night when there is no one to move the carts away when flood water starts surging in the trenches. Lately, traders have been complaining to me that the carts are blocking the drainages leaving the flood water to get into the market," Mukiri said.
However, some of the cart operators who spoke to this writer claimed that they have no alternative parking.
"As we speak,that is where most of us have parked our carts as we wait for customers because we have no other place. The market is so crowded and once outside the market, the only available space is in the drainage trenches," said Kamau Kimani.
They, however, say they will remove them from the trenches when the rains are heavy to avoid blockages.
"Rain water can easily spill from the trenches to the market area if the rains are heavy. That is why we remove our carts to avoid blocking them unless one is not allowed to do so", Jackson Kuria said.