Illicit liquors, cold blood murders, harassment of traders, informal settlement and the dark side of Eldoret

The old adage goes that "every cloud has its own silver lining". Eldoret town and its environs is a perfect place for investment and also for settlement. It is growing robustly and its famously the capital city of North Rift. 

However, Eldoret has its darker side. Eldoret and the estates surrounding are faced with numerous negative issues ranging from insecurity, harassment of small scale traders, cold blood murders, water shortages, growing of informal settlements, high rate of unemployment, criminal gangs, illicit brews, growing number of street families and so forth

Just recently an athlete, Richard Tirop Kessio was murdered together with his friend and their bodies dumped along the Eldoret - Kaptagat road in a cold blood murder. The area legislator Hon Chepkut joined the residents of Ainabkoi to ask the government to speedily bring the perpetrators of heinous act to book and face justice. Apart from this scenario, there has been an outcry on growing number of unresolved murders by organized gangs operating in the estates. Particular estate has been singled out as an hideout and a training ground for criminals 

In jamhuri day celebrations in December 12th 2017 the county commissioner decried the incidences and declaring door to door manhunt of the criminals and recover the illegal arms in the hands of the criminals. He said highest number of cases of criminals terrorizing the residents had been reported raising alarm and prompting quick intervention from the government before situation getting out of hand. 

Eldoret town market as well was in the middle of storm reason being the senseless beating of hawkers and traders by the county askarisThe video that was widely shared in social media and also in the mainstream media captured the events and attracted rebuke and condemnation all over the country. The trader according to county government had been designated to various markets namely :kahoya market, Eldoret town market and Eldoret West market but most of them did not heed the directive causing such altercations. 

Eldoret as well has been a hub of illicit liquor allegedly transported from Uganda border infamous "waragi". Last year the police nabbed 2000 liters of illicit brews worth ksh.600,000 in one of the maili nne estate. Most youth have largely fall to the den of alcoholism and substance abuse. 

There is also widespread growth of informal settlement in Eldoret because of growing levels of poverty as a result of unemployment. The basic services like water and sanitation is deplorable in such estates. Water is a challenge and the available are not safe for human use. This may result to cholera outbreak and related illnesses.