During MIDRIFT HURINET-REINVENT dialogue sessions between Market leaders & Traders from Nakuru Town West Sub County and the City Inspectorate Department on Business Sector Engagement in Peace and Security, the traders informed the City Inspectorate Department of the lack of garbage disposal bins in Soko Mjinga. Traders had also made the same request from Ponda Mali Market.

These dialogue sessions were facilitated by MIDRIFT HURINET and supported by Foreign,Commmonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the Reinvent Programme- Usalama, Ubunifu, Uthabiti.

The traders through their leaders had decried the poor sanitation standards due to the lack of garbage disposal bins and any clear format in disposing of garbage. The garbage found its way into drainage tunnels and blocked the systems leading to water clogging and stagnation of water and avoidable accidents since most traders were not aware of the clogged water depth.

Mosquitoes also found new homes in the stagnant water and Malaria infections increased.

 When the appeal was launched to the City Inspectorate during the forum, MIDRIFT HURINET spearheaded the follow-up process with the relevant County departments.

Three weeks ago, the garbage bins were brought to the market. 

The market traders were delighted and thanked MIDRIFT HURINET for the intervention

and the Nakuru City Inspectorate Officers for their swift response.

Lawrence Wasiche, a trader in the market, said;

“I thank MIDRIFT HURINET for the dialogue sessions between us traders, the City Inspectorate, and the National Police Service which has ensured one of the commitments made by the City Inspectorate, in us having garbage bins, has been achieved. If it were not for the business sector's engagement in the peace and security project, the garbage bins could not have been brought, and even the drainage system which was an issue here could not have been done.

The sessions have also enhanced our cooperation on Business Engagement in Peace and Security which has led to minimal criminal activities in our areas of operations.”

His sentiments were echoed by the market-organizing secretary Mr. Martin Okungu who opined,

“The cooperation with the City Inspectorate Department and the National Police Service has ensured traders in this market go about their businesses without much worry.

They can now close late without fearing incidences of burglary. My appeal is for more security lights to be installed to cover the whole market and for youths to be engaged in cleaning the market environment to reduce their economic vulnerabilities.”

The leadership of the Nakuru City Inspectorate has also appreciated the MIDRIFT HURINET-led dialogue sessions and their impact on their daily engagements with market traders and the National Police Service.

Their Officers who attended the Business Sector Engagement in Peace and Security dialogue forums commended MIDRIFT HURINET for the facilitation and requested for other sessions to be considered for their colleagues who did not participate especially by organizing bigger forums within the markets.

 According to the Nakuru Town West Deputy Sub County Enforcement Officer Mr. Collins Owiti, the patience and cooperation exhibited by the traders following the commitment should be commended.

He urged them to constantly follow up on projects especially those passed through Public participation forums and own the projects as their revenue is being utilized.

“We have now addressed the challenge of garbage bins and the drainage situation around the market and you as traders have been prompt in paying the licenses which have made our work swift.

Let us now work closely on matters of peace and security in our paramount area. I request MIDRIFT HURINET to organize more forums targeting more traders so that all can benefit from the knowledge and share it with their fellow traders not

reached.”

On the other hand, Deputy Enforcement Officer Nakuru West noted a change in how enforcement officers deal with traders, this was after a Human Rights and Community Policing Principles training that enforcement officers and Police Officers went through.

The enforcement officers have also noticed a mindset shift from traders who were part of the dialogue forums who now refer to them by their names and no other pseudo-names.

They have also been considered for other roles in the community such as the Nyumba Kumi and community policing.

As shared by the Nakuru Town West Sub County Commander Enforcement Officer Mr. Joseph Ndume, the officers who have been capacity strengthened have shown tremendous change in their operations through diligence and integrity on task allocated and employing dialogue when there is conflict, something the community can teach and reciprocate.

Most of the officers have also treated cases reported to them with the utmost confidentiality and safeguarded the interests of the complainants and those of the general public save for a few officers.

They advocated for Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms to be used in instances of reported cases but the same cannot be entertained in case the situations are of Sexual Gender Based Violence as stated by a police officer manning the

Central Station Gender desk.

“These dialogue sessions have made the relationship between the enforcement officers and the traders much better; we urge MIDRIFT to continue having more forums of this nature to reach more people,” said Mr. Collins, the Nakuru West enforcement

officer.

By Jacob Karani