A group of small scale traders along the Thika-Garissa Highway near Cravers Inn has accused a Kiambu County Assembly nominated MCA of using his office to illegally evict them from their premises in order to 'take up' their space.
The traders allege that the MCA is using unknown officials disguised as Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to harass and intimidate them out of the space they have been working from since 2011.
"Unknown officials claiming to be from KeNHA have been visiting us here since October last year saying there are plans to expand the highway even though we have not been informed of such plans. We smell a red rat," Joyce Wambui, a trader said on Tuesday.
The traders said that none of the so-called KeNHA officials has ever officially identified themselves nor produced an official eviction letter either from KeNHA or from the Kiambu County Government.
"This is a scheme by the MCA in collusion with some county officialsto acquire this space so as to put up a car bazaar and we have that information," Paul Muturi said.
Edward Muchiri said: "There is a time these people destroyed property worth valued at over Sh200,000 when they brought bulldozers to dig a trench that was meant to cut us off from the main road. No compensation was done."
The said road reserve stretch is about 300 metres up to the Gatitu junction and hosts several businesses which sell concrete slabs, tents, furniture, tree nurseries among others.
However, according to the traders, it is only those working in about the first 100 metres from the flyover who are being harassed, raising questions the genuity of the said eviction orders.