Traders locked out of Kitale market as Ruto, Natembeya tensions spill over

The power struggle over control of Kitale's multi-million-shilling Masinde Muliro Modern Market escalated on Tuesday after heavily deployed police officers blocked traders allocated stalls by the Trans Nzoia County Government from accessing the facility.

The standoff, which persisted on Wednesday, exposed deepening divisions between Governor George Natembeya's administration and the national government over the management and allocation of trading spaces at the market, which was commissioned by President William Ruto on October 16.

At the centre of the dispute are competing allocation arrangements, with Governor Natembeya insisting that the county government has the authority to allocate stalls to genuine traders, while the President had directed the area County Commissioner to oversee the process.

The latest confrontation followed a directive by Governor Natembeya on Monday ordering genuine traders to occupy the facility on Tuesday, insisting that priority should go to verified business owners holding allotment letters issued by the County Department of Trade.

"I hereby direct the relevant County Government departments to work jointly with the affected traders and liaise with the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) to secure the necessary security support," Mr Natembeya said.

But the county government's attempt to implement the directive was frustrated by security agencies, with County Executive Committee Member for Trade Janerose Mutama accusing police of allowing a section of traders into the facility while locking out dozens of others holding county-issued allocation letters.

Ms Mutama said the county government had embarked on allocating stalls to genuine traders who previously operated along the roadside before being displaced to pave the way for the market's redevelopment.

She said the exercise followed mounting complaints from affected business owners over delays in reopening the facility and uncertainty about when they would resume operations.

The Trade executive maintained that Mr Natembeya had fulfilled his responsibility by allocating spaces to the displaced traders, arguing that the county government could not abdicate its responsibility to business owners who had been operating in the area.

"The governor told them that he had done his duty as governor and allocated market spaces to them. There was no way he could have ignored his responsibility," Mutama said.

She claimed that approximately 35 traders were already operating inside the market while a much larger group remained locked out despite having received allocation letters from the county government.

CECM Mutama questioned why some traders were enjoying security protection inside the facility while others, allocated spaces through the county government, were being denied entry.

She said county officials had sought access to the premises to establish the identities of those occupying the stalls, verify their allocation documents and determine how many spaces remained vacant for other traders.

However, she accused security agencies of frustrating the exercise, raising concerns over what she described as unequal treatment of business owners.

The county government had sought police intervention, citing a court order which the CECM said restrained the County Commissioner, the Interior Ministry, the Attorney General and their respective agencies from interfering with the management and allocation of the property.

But efforts to secure police assistance were complicated by the alleged transfer of the Kitale Officer Commanding Station (OCS) on Tuesday morning.

Ms Mutama said county officials subsequently sought an audience with the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD), who reportedly convened a meeting involving the County Commissioner and other security officials to deliberate on the dispute.

She complained that county officials had waited for more than three hours without receiving feedback from the security team.

The Trade executive also questioned the involvement of private security personnel in controlling access to the market, asking why some traders were being protected while others were denied entry.

Despite the standoff, she maintained that the county government remained committed to resolving the dispute through dialogue and in accordance with existing court directions.

Ruto's directive fuels allocation dispute

The confrontation comes barely weeks after President Ruto commissioned the market and directed County Commissioner Hussein Allaso to prioritise 1,500 traders displaced by construction when allocating stalls, with the remaining spaces to be distributed through balloting.

Last month, the President said the facility had 2,980 trading spaces and announced Sh15 million in assistance for displaced traders, translating to Sh10,000 for each beneficiary.

He also instructed Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga to mobilise additional funding to complete outstanding construction works while warning against individuals attempting to sell stalls to beneficiaries.

"I stepped in because the market had stalled for four years. I told PS Hinga to look for the little money left to complete the construction of the market so that we can settle the businessmen and women who had been displaced to pave the way for the construction of the market," Ruto said during the commissioning.

However, the presidential directives triggered fresh concerns among traders who already held county-issued allotment letters and expected to return to their businesses after the redevelopment.

The affected traders accused authorities of sidelining established business owners in favour of new entrants, arguing that the redevelopment was meant to improve their trading conditions rather than permanently displace them.

The disagreement has left traders questioning which allocation process will ultimately determine who occupies the stalls and whether those who previously operated in the area will reclaim their businesses.

Traders caught in government turf war

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Trans Nzoia chairman Titus Kilongi has questioned the conflicting positions taken by the two levels of government, warning that uncertainty over stall ownership, revenue collection and management threatens traders' livelihoods.

"We cannot have two arms of government pulling in different directions," Mr Kilongi said, calling for clarity on the respective responsibilities of the national and county governments.

Ms Catherine Mbomere, one of the affected traders, said business owners who operated in the area before demolitions began had been promised an opportunity to return once construction was completed.

She questioned how individuals who were not part of the original business community had ended up occupying spaces previously used by established traders.

Soko Mjinga Wholesale and Retail chairman Solomon Wanyonyi similarly said traders had operated along the roadside for more than 15 years and expected to reclaim their spaces after completion of the facility.

The dispute has also drawn in Kitale Bus Park Sacco traders, who have raised concerns over 167 stalls, including 18 canteens.

They have cited a consent agreement recorded at the Environment and Land Court in Kitale on July 25, 2022, in Constitutional Petition No. 3 of 2022.

Ruto and Natembeya battle over credit for market

Beyond the allocation wrangles, the market has become the centre of a political confrontation between President Ruto and Governor Natembeya over who deserves credit for its development.

While President Ruto has portrayed his administration's intervention as crucial to completing the project after a four-year construction delay, Governor Natembeya maintains that the county government initiated and substantially financed the facility.

The governor has disputed the national government's portrayal of its contribution, arguing that the county invested public resources in the project and played a decisive role in its development.

The county government invested more than Sh800 million, with the national government subsequently providing additional funding towards outstanding construction works.

The competing claims have increasingly turned the facility into a battleground over the respective responsibilities of the two levels of government, with Natembeya insisting that the national government must respect the county's constitutional mandate.

For traders, however, the political contest has created an immediate and costly uncertainty over who has the final say on stall allocation, access to the facility and day-to-day management.

Business leaders have warned that conflicting management arrangements could expose traders to competing demands from government agencies, disrupt operations and increase the cost of doing business.

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