Tension in Kitale as Ruto-Natembeya standoff deepens

By  Evans Jaola

Contributor

NTV

What you need to know:

• Officers from the General Service Unit and Administration Police were stationed at major entry points to the town.
• Some traders kept their businesses closed as uncertainty over the allocation of stalls disrupted normal business.

Kitale was on edge on Monday following deployment of heavily armed police officers across parts of the town amid an escalating dispute between President William Ruto and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya over the allocation of stalls at the newly opened Masinde Muliro Market.

Officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) and Administration Police were stationed at major entry points, while parts of the Central Business District (CBD) were barricaded.

Some traders kept their businesses closed as uncertainty over the allocation of stalls disrupted normal business.

The tension persisted until around noon, when police disrupted a planned prayer meeting at the county headquarters, where Mr Natembeya later addressed traders and called for calm.

The governor said he would seek the Senate’s intervention and a court ruling to resolve the dispute, insisting that the county government’s constitutional mandate over the market must be respected.

The confrontation has put traders at the centre of a growing dispute between the two levels of government, with business owners warning that the uncertainty is hurting their livelihoods as the festive season approaches.

Earlier, during a radio interview with Citizen Radio at his office, Mr Natembeya announced that he would not proceed to the market as earlier planned, citing the need to maintain peace and public order.

The governor had on Sunday called on the Senate to intervene in the dispute between the national and county governments over the allocation of stalls at the market, which President Ruto officially opened on Friday.

Speaking during a church service at Destiny Reconciliation Church in Sitatunga, Cherangany Constituency, Mr Natembeya said he would also seek a court ruling to safeguard the county government’s constitutional mandate, particularly its role in allocating market stalls.

“I want the Senate to come in and help resolve this conflict. The Senate was formed to be a champion of devolution, and now it's time for the House to come in,” he said.

He accused the national government of interfering in a county development project for political gain, saying the market, valued at more than Sh800 million, was constructed by the county government with support from the World Bank.

Mr Natembeya said his administration would pursue legal redress to enable the county government to discharge its devolved functions without what he described as intimidation and provocation by the national government.

Dispute over stall allocation

The row centres on competing claims over the allocation of business spaces at the market, with traders questioning the transparency of the process and the involvement of national government officials.

Reports indicate that traders operating under the Kitale Bus Park Sacco have been given priority in the allocation, following President Ruto’s directive that the remaining stalls be allocated through a balloting process.

Mr Natembeya, however, has accused the President of bringing traders from Uganda to occupy most of the stalls, raising questions about the eligibility of beneficiaries. The allegation had not been independently verified by the time of publication.

The President also discredited an earlier allocation process conducted by the county government, further deepening uncertainty among traders over who qualifies for the stalls.

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Trans Nzoia chairman Titus Kilong’i criticised the conflicting approaches, saying they were disadvantaging genuine traders who had operated in Kitale for years.

He questioned the involvement of national government officials in allocating the stalls, arguing that trade was a devolved function and that the county government would ultimately manage the facility and collect revenue.

“Did the county commissioner build this market so that he stands in to allocate the market? And after allocating it, is he the one going to collect revenue? Does the law allow him?” he asked.

Mr Kilong’i urged both levels of government to respect their constitutional mandates and resolve the dispute through established procedures, warning that continued uncertainty was hurting businesses as the festive season approaches.

He said the chamber had participated in an earlier exercise to identify genuine beneficiaries through a market survey and profiling process conducted by an allocation committee appointed by the governor.

The exercise, he said, uncovered inconsistencies in the proposed allocation lists, including instances where the same individual appeared several times across different markets.

“We conducted a market survey and profiled the business people. We discovered that some names were overlapping, with one person appearing up to eight times in different markets,” he said.

Mr Kilong’i said market leaders had been invited to scrutinise the proposed list and raise complaints with the relevant authorities before a final list of beneficiaries was agreed upon.

However, he said confusion arose after allocation letters were issued, with competing groups laying claim to stalls at the facility.

Some traders who had previously received allocations had since died, relocated to rural areas or abandoned their businesses, he said, creating opportunities for others to claim the spaces.

Mr Kilong’i warned that the uncertainty was undermining traders’ livelihoods and creating an unfavourable business environment.

“We are being asked to pay taxes, yet there is confusion and we are being subjected to intimidation. How are we going to survive?” he asked.

He cautioned that political disagreements between leaders could discourage investors and disrupt business operations in Trans Nzoia, urging both levels of government to prioritise stability and service delivery.

“As a business person, I maintain neutrality. But I would like the same from the government. We need a conducive environment for people to do business,” he said.

He called for dialogue involving the national government, county government, market leaders and affected traders to establish a transparent allocation process and end the standoff.

Traders and residents appealed to President Ruto and Mr Natembeya to resolve their differences, saying the confrontation was hurting businesses and disrupting normal activities in Kitale.

They said traders had been affected by the stalemate since Thursday, with uncertainty surrounding the market leaving many counting losses.

“We want this to stop so that we do not continue counting losses. Since Thursday, most of the traders have been heavily affected by this stalemate and showdown,” said KNCCI Trans Nzoia executive director Antony Masika.

Bishop Simon Ndwati, who attended the prayer meeting at the county headquarters, said residents hoped the dispute would be resolved peacefully.

“We had come here for prayers for the sake of our county, and we hope that peace will prevail,” he said.

Belinda Nakhumicha, a businesswoman, said traders had become casualties of the political rivalry between the President and the governor.

“We have been affected, and we hope this stalemate will come to an end. Most of us are counting losses because of the market stalemate,” she said.

Ruto allies defend market project

Meanwhile, leaders allied to President Ruto defended his development initiatives in Trans Nzoia, warning against what they described as intimidation by the governor.

The leaders, led by Kenya’s permanent representative to UN-Habitat Susan Nakhumicha and Trans Nzoia Woman Representative Lilian Siyoi, spoke at a press conference in Kitale on Monday, accompanied by a section of MCAs and local leaders.

Ms Nakhumicha expressed support for the President’s recent visit and development programme in the county.

“We are happy for what the President has done for us, including his visit to the county last week. As the people of Trans Nzoia, we are very grateful,” she said.

The leaders’ remarks underscored the political divisions surrounding the market, with Mr Natembeya insisting that the county’s role in allocating stalls must be respected while the President’s allies defended the national government’s involvement in development projects.

As the governor pursues Senate and court intervention, traders remain caught between the competing claims, calling for a transparent allocation process and an end to the uncertainty disrupting their businesses.

ejaolah@gmail.com

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