The premises of the Daily Observer were invaded yesterday by an army of market vendors, about 50 of them.

They were visibly disgruntled, desperately in search of explanation from the authorities at the KMC. If their version of the issue is anything to go by, then KMC really owes not only these men and women, but the entire Gambian population an explanation for their purported one week notice-of-vacation.

This editorial piece is by no means an attempt to judge the Municipal Council, rather we are on the service of a desperate people, amplifying their wish for an explanation for a move that has broken their hope in life.

While we do not intend to make the issue sound beyond controllable level, we do believe that the manifestations of these vendors strongly depicted the seriousness they attach to it. And in order to pre-empt any attempt of distortion of the facts surrounding the saga, it is fitting that KMC explains clearly to the affected people, clearing all doubt.

The story goes that some ‘Sarahuleh money-man’ bought the place these men and women have been occupying for about ten years now. The angry looking vendors, mostly middle aged, would not understand why they should be given a notice of only one week to vacate a place they have known for this long, from where they have since been taking care of their families.

Another key but strategic demand of the vendors is that: “where do we go to if we leave this place?” And this, they say, neither the alleged new owner of the land, nor the KMC seem willing to answer. We are therefore appealing to the interim chairman of KMC to seek an amicable resolution to this problem.