Dozens of businesses were destroyed on Thursday morning when stalls at a curio market in Westlands, Nairobi were demolished by a roads construction authority.
The curio shops, eateries and clothes shops, all made from iron sheets, were pulled down.
Most of the affected traders were not able to salvage anything and helplessly watched as the bulldozers crushed their life’s work.
Mr Evans Kamana, who ran a restaurant at the market for the past 10 years, said that the traders had been given two months’ notice but had asked for an extension as a new market was being built.
“The Sankara Hotel was started and finished while we were still waiting for the market to be completed. Tomorrow we will go and set up our businesses there,” said Mr Kamanda.
The market was built on a road reserve and had to be demolished to make way for the expansion of the road.
Armed police blocked the nearby road and redirected traffic during the demolition exercise.