Tana River traders want NYS to vacate traders’ land. [Photo: the-star.co.ke]
Top officials from the National Youth Service have been accused of refusing to vacate a land given to traders in Tana River County.
A section of angry Madogo residents on Monday took to the streets to demand that the NYS vacate the land.
Led by area Member of County Assembly Abdi Ergamso, the traders want the land that is being occupied by NYS be reverted to the community.
Mr Ergamso and the traders gave the top officials a 7-day ultimatum to surrender the land failure to which they will hold demonstrations every Sunday until their request was granted.
Mr Ergamso said the land was allocated to NYS in the 1980’s by the then Tana River County Council as transit camp during the construction of the Nairobi-Garissa road.
The MCA further said that women traders were later on allocated the land where a modern market was to be constructed by the Tana River county government.
“During my first term, we set aside Sh100 million for the construction of the market but the NYS refused to vacate the land.”
“It’s on record that the defunct county council of Tana River then being the custodian the piece of land allocated it to the women traders of Madogo. We are giving NYS seven days to vacate the land,” he added.
The Maendeleo ya Wanawake Chairlady, Fatuma Kilas said the community was ready to offer NYS another piece of land in the outskirts of the town so that the contractor commences his job.
“We are tired of conducting our small businesses in front of shops and under the scorching sun yet we have a conducive environment to put up a modern market,” Fatuma said.