Bondo traders withhold taxes over ‘dirty’ market

By George Amolo

Traders in Bondo town have stopped paying market levies to Siaya County government citing poor hygiene and sanitation standards at Bondo main market and its environs.

Led by chairman of Migingo Market Michael Onyango and his Lower Migingo counterpart Andrea Odhiambo, the traders who brought business to a standstill in Bondo town, held a demonstration to protest poor service delivery by Siaya County government.

They complained that there are no proper access roads that can lead customers to the main market which consist of Migingo, Lower Migingo and Obama markets.

The traders who, went round singing and chanting criticism slogans against the area Ward Representative Mrs. Lorna Adida and Siaya county government’s administration, decried lack of toilet facilities, lack of proper waste management strategy and the escalating rate of insecurity in the market place.

One of the traders, Jane Adoyo, complained that whereas some markets such as Aram, Akala and Ndori among others have solar lights installed courtesy of the county government, Bondo market has been neglected yet it is one of the markets that generate the highest revenue.

Their secretary, Caren Achieng Orwa, lamented that they have held numerous meetings with the county government but nothing has changed, and therefore warned that they will not remit taxes until such a time that those problems shall have been solved.

They have therefore warned that they shall only start paying taxes if those problems are fixed so that they can operate in a conducive environment.