Uasin Gishu Trade Chief Officer Simon Cheplel has cried foul over hawkers refusing to occupy the newly constructed markets despite them being complete.
Cheplei said despite the county government constructing markets for them, they still sell their commodities on the streets.
"We have constructed 44 markets for hawkers in the county but they have refused to occupy them instead resolving to parade their commodities on the streets," he said.
Speaking in his office on Tuesday, Cheplel said they want to change the concept that businessmen can only sell their goods in the streets.
"We are not fighting hawkers by telling them to occupy the markets, instead we want them to conduct their businesses in a secure environment," he said.
He added that the county government was losing a lot of money constructing markets which are not occupied.
"We constructed a Sh30 million hawkers market in the CBD and as I am speaking now, no one has applied for space, forcing us to close it," he said.
He urged hawkers to occupy the market, failure to which stern actions will be taken against them.
"We will not allow people to conduct their business in the streets and yet we have empty market, we will arrest and charge them," he said.