A section of Jua Kali artisans have been accused of attempting to squander funds raised for them to secure operation grounds.
The artisans drawn from Kisumu Central Jua Kali Artisans Association nudged their Chairman, Jacob ‘Copacko’ Oumas to give them the Sh7 million raised in a funds drive led by Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero in 2014.
According to Copacko, some members wanted the cost of securing a title deed for an eight-acre piece of land inflated.
“I had to be very rigid as some of them wanted us to split the money,” he said.
“Even after we used half of the money to get the title deed, they still wanted to know how the remainder would be spent.”
He said over 2,500 registered members of the association drawn from various trades within the sector, and another over 2,000 unregistered artisans stood to benefit.
The lease was secured at a cost of Sh3.5 million and lasts for 99 years.
“It has been a long tough struggle. We had to get influential people to overcome the bureaucracy at Ardhi House, and we are happy we can now settle down and reorganize this place to benefit all of us,” he said.
The money was raised in a funds drive led by Governor Evans Kidero. It was Sh7 million.
“We will use what is left of the money to secure more land and to start restructuring this place,” he said in an interview on Friday.