There was a standoff on Saturday morning when traders temporarily shut down Maasai market situated at Nairobi CBD.
The traders were protesting a 2,000 percent in the fees they are to pay to the county government to display their wares.
A trader who spoke to journalists stated that they found a notice on the market gates which left them in shock.
“We found letters that we were to pay Ksh1000 from the New Year, which is a challenge because even the previous fee which was Ksh50 we can seat here from morning to evening and still lack the money,” the trader explained.
The trader further highlighted a challenge they faced with the market’s open-air setting that had made them vulnerable to rainfall.
“Another problem we are facing is that when it rains, our products get wet and since they are made from paper, cloth they get destroyed. We experience huge losses,” he added.
Maasai Market in Nairobi is a great place for seeing handicrafts of the whole country.
The colorful Maasai markets sell mainly tourist fare ranging from wooden sculptures, beaded necklaces, batik wall hangings, shoes, soap stone carvings, sisal bags, kikois, textiles and a whole host of other exciting goods.