Keumbu roadside traders have asked residents and customers not to boycott them after an attack on the Linda Mwananchi convoy on Friday, July 3.
Speaking to local media, traders and residents in Keumbu said they are suffering because many buyers have stopped purchasing from them.
They explained that people driving in private vehicles and matatu vehicles to Nairobi and other areas outside Kisii have been boycotting their shops and roadside businesses.
According to the traders, the boycott started after the incident involving the Linda Mwananchi brigade. They said the attacks did not involve them, but they are being punished anyway simply because they are part of the same community and they sell goods along the roadside.
The traders said they are worried about how they will survive if customers continue staying away. Some of them rely on daily sales to pay for basic needs such as food and rent.
The situation follows reports that alleged attackers, linked to Nyaribari Chache Member of Parliament Zaheer, caused chaos and carried out attacks on the Linda Mwananchi brigade on Friday, July 3. The traders said the incident led to serious injuries and at least one person died.
They identified the deceased as Vincent Onsiemo from Gionseri, Keumbu. According to reports, Onsiemo later died from injuries while receiving treatment at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisii.
In their appeal, the traders told the public that they want to cooperate peacefully with everyone in the community.
They also said they do not support violence and they will not take part in any harmful or “inhumane” acts in the future.
The traders emphasized that they are business people, not members of any group involved in conflict.
They asked customers to return to buying their products so they can continue earning a living.
They said they regret what happened during the attack and promised that from that day forward, they will never commit acts that cause harm to others.
