Uasin Gishu County head of security Paul Ruto speaks to the press in Eldoret on January 12, 2018. [Photo: Joe Khisa]
The county government of Uasin Gishu has insisted that operation against vendors operating from undesignated areas will go on.
County's head of security Paul Ruto has further defended the manner in which a multi-agency operation to flush out the vendors was conducted.
Addressing the press at the county headquarters in Eldoret town on Friday, Ruto said the vendors had blocked access to the area they were illegally operating from forcing the police to use teargas canisters.
He, however, dismissed claims that they used live bullets against the vendors."No live bullets were used during the operation.
The only thing we used was teargas since we had to look at ways to disperse the vendors who had blocked the road using their trolleys and wheelbarrows," Ruto noted.
"We are only interested in cleaning our town because there have been complaints about some vendors engaging in the sale of illicit liquor and other banned substances like bhang," he added.
Some of the affected fruit vendors, however, dismissed the allegations and accused the county askaris and the police of using excessive force.
"I just recently began selling fruits and then this incident happens. All my stock is now gone. I don't know what to do as I hoped this would be my source of income," said one of the vendors whose fruits were destroyed during the clash.
"We are mere fruit sellers. We don't know why they have to come to us with guns and destroy our goods. If they don't want is to operate from here they should give us an alternative place to operate from," added another vendor who wished not to be named.