Mixed fortunes for city traders as Lions Garden renovation drags on
A view of Lions Garden in Nakuru. The park is currently undergoing renovations.
For the past six months, it has been business unusual for a group of street vendors and photographers working in Lions Garden.
The garden was a place where they would trade and sell their wares to locals who came to the garden for recreational purposes.
But since the county government closed the park for renovation, business has been difficult for the small traders, who are now running out of patience.
According to the small-scale traders, there has been no serious renovation activity apart from frequent digging.
Most affected by the closure are the photographers who make a living from taking photos, capturing memories for park visitors.
As a result, photographers now have their stalls outside the garden at Pinkam Roundabout. This they say makes it difficult to attract customers outside the gardens.
John, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that county government officials had called them into the park and informed them of plans to improve the look of the park - a process that would force them to operate from outside.
Some of the photographers supported the move, while others were sceptical.
John was one of them saying that he saw the move as a disruption to their business.
He explained that since its closure there has been no meaningful work.
"They come here regularly to remove the weeds that grow after digging. I have seen them at least four times so far," said John.
According to the photographer, his income has dropped drastically and he is now working on a shoestring.
He explains that he used to earn between Sh500 and Sh600 a day, but now he earns between Sh0 and Sh300.
"The nature of our work requires people who have come to relax, not those who are focused on getting somewhere, and by operating outside the garden we are now forced to take our chances with pedestrians who are either rushing home or to work," he said.
He appealed to the county government to expedite the renovation or open it to the public while they organise themselves.
Stephen Chege, on the other hand, is optimistic that things will take a turn for the better once the rehabilitation work is completed.
What the county is doing he says is to improve and beautify the overall look of the garden to make it even more attractive.
"We are looking forward to increased visitation by locals once the beautification is completed, we were called and informed that the county has the intention of improving the look so we should move out," says Mr Chege.
Janet Wanja, on the other hand, says as a hawker, she is forced to scramble to sell to travellers at the former Mashambani stage, making business difficult.