Eastleigh traders feel the heat of KDF Somali incursion

• Business plunges to an all-time low at once bustling Garissa Lodge and other markets as customers keep away for fear of reprisal terrorist attacks following the Kenyan operation to wipe out Al-Shabaab militia

“They can not trust anyone now. Not even a journalist. They are afraid that they might be accused of involvement with the Al-Shabaab,” the fixer later explains.

And perhaps rightly so: The Monitoring Group report argues that import and export businesses that opt to use the port of Kismayu where they pay taxes to Al-Shabaab do so consciously and perhaps all too aware that their commercial transactions are accruing a significant financial benefit to Al-Shabaab. This is because they have the option of using alternative ports like Mogadishu for their imports.

On the other hand, the rest of the business community, including Hassan Mustaf, is only hopeful that the operation will come to an end soon.

“I support the Kenyan Army like any other citizen would,” says Hassan.

“But I hope that the government will solve this problem with Somalia soon. We are suffering and our businesses are going down because customers are now afraid of coming here to do business with us. And even though police officers are seen here patrolling the streets, people are still not very sure that they will do their shopping safely,” says Hassan.

“There are, however, a few people from around Nairobi who are still coming to do their shopping, but those from North Eastern have made it a no-go area. They are facing just as many problems with insecurity,” he said.