The Kisumu county government has ordered mandatory weekly cleanup exercises at Ahero and Awasi markets.
Consequently, traders who fail to comply risk fines, closure of stalls, and possible prosecution under the county public health and environmental bylaws.
The directive, which takes effect immediately, requires all traders to clean their stalls and surrounding areas every Wednesday, even as authorities move to curb the risk of cholera, typhoid, and other sanitation-related diseases that have repeatedly affected lakeside counties.
The County Executive for Environment, Judith Oluoch, said the order follows repeated inspections that revealed persistent waste accumulation, blocked drainage, open dumping, and poor food-handling practices in the busy markets.
“These are not isolated lapses. This is a pattern we have warned against before. Going forward, enforcement officers will issue penalties, close non-compliant stalls, and take further legal action where necessary,” she said.
Kisumu County, she said, remains vulnerable to outbreaks of water- and food-borne diseases due to its proximity to Lake Victoria, high population movement, and open-air markets that handle ready-to-eat food.
In previous years, the county had recorded cases of cholera and typhoid during periods of poor sanitation, with public health officers repeatedly linking outbreaks to contaminated water, improper waste disposal, and unhygienic market conditions.
This move therefore forms part of Kisumu County’s broader crackdown on poor sanitation in public spaces, as authorities seek to prevent avoidable disease outbreaks in high-traffic markets that serve thousands of residents daily.
Ahero–Awasi Municipal Manager Lazarus Orengo said the county would no longer rely on voluntary compliance, noting that traders had been issued with several notices in the past with little improvement.
“Hygiene is a legal obligation and not a suggestion. Any trader who ignores the Wednesday clean-up directive risks immediate closure of their stall, fines, and further action under the municipal bylaws,” Orengo said.
Meanwhile, in a bid to facilitate compliance, the county government has already distributed waste collection bins across the markets and deployed additional sanitation teams to ensure regular garbage collection.
Enforcement officers will also supervise the cleanup exercises and carry out spot checks during trading days.
By Chris Mahandara
