Natembeya abandons plan to take over disputed Masinde Muliro Market

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 19 – Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has abandoned his plan to storm the Masinde Muliro Business Park in Kitale amid an escalating dispute over the ownership and control of the facility.

A contingent of General Service Unit (GSU) officers has barricaded the Trans Nzoia County headquarters to prevent Natembeya from visiting the disputed market, which he insists should be under the control of the county government.

The first-term governor says he will no longer pursue plans to relocate traders operating along the streets to the newly opened market, a move he had intended to improve cleanliness and ease waste management in Kitale.

“I have moved away from the idea of saying that I want to open the market because my intention was to bring my people together. Those who get spaces in the market should work there, while those who do not get spaces should remain where they are,” Natembeya said.

Over the weekend, Natembeya vowed to reopen the market and allocate stalls to traders who had previously been assigned spaces.

He accused President William Ruto of taking credit for county projects during his visit to the region. Natembeya also said he would not be intimidated by threats to his security, daring the police to arrest him when he visited the market and the hospital under construction on Monday.

The governor further stated that he would no longer oppose the construction of the new Kitale Level 5 Hospital on the site of the former Kitale District Hospital, inviting the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to take over the site.

He argued that continuing to contest the project would amount to engaging in “petty wars designed to send a certain message.”