Busia: University of Eldoret Students Association has led a clean-up drive at Soko Posta Market in Busia town. Speaking on behalf of the students, the association's patron, Prof Paul Odwori, stated that the initiative was a way of giving back to society.
According to Kenya News Agency, this marks the second time the students have organized such an exercise, with the first occurring last year. Prof Odwori emphasized plans to make the clean-up an annual event. He also highlighted the student association's involvement in other environmental activities, such as tree planting within the county. In addition, the students visit learning institutions to encourage students to work hard.
Soko Posta market chairperson, Philip Okwero, praised the students for their efforts, acknowledging the challenges faced in maintaining the cleanliness of the facility. He noted that while the market management should ideally handle the clean-up, they lack allocated funds for the purpose. As a result, the market is cleaned only once a week despite its daily operations, leading to complaints from traders who pay revenue for its maintenance.
Okwero mentioned his unsuccessful attempts to contact the Governor regarding the issue but shared that he recently spoke with the leadership of Busia Municipality. They promised to seek a development partner to fence and improve the market's status.