GSU Officers Deployed as Natembeya Orders Traders to Occupy Kitale Market Amid Ruto Standoff

Security has been heightened at Masinde Muliro Market in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, following Governor George Natembeya’s directive allowing traders with county-issued allocation letters to occupy their designated stalls, escalating an ongoing dispute with the national government over control of the facility.

Officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) increased their presence at the market on Monday, November 9, conducting patrols as authorities prepared for traders to access the facility from Tuesday, November 10.

The deployment comes amid growing tensions over the management and allocation of trading spaces at the newly opened market, which has become the centre of a disagreement between President William Ruto’s administration and the county government.

Natembeya has maintained that his administration has the constitutional authority to manage markets and allocate trading spaces, insisting that traders who received legitimate allocation letters from the county should be allowed to occupy their designated stalls.

The governor argued that his directive was in line with a court order and warned that authorities responsible for providing security would be held accountable if they failed to facilitate the exercise.

However, the increased security presence has raised anxiety among traders, some of whom fear that the situation could interfere with their businesses and discourage customers from accessing the market.

One trader, Jane Wangare, said customers had already started expressing concerns about bringing goods to the facility after learning that GSU officers had been deployed.

Silas Kilonge, chairman of the Kitale Market Traders Association, also questioned how business permits would be issued and revenue collected under the competing arrangements.

He argued that the shops remained under the Trans Nzoia County Government and questioned the uncertainty surrounding the authority responsible for managing the businesses.

The dispute has been building since President Ruto officially opened the market in October, with both levels of government facing disagreements over the allocation of stalls and their respective responsibilities.

The facility has 2,980 trading spaces and cold storage facilities intended to provide traders with a modern business environment.

The county government has maintained that the project was initiated under its administration, while the national government has also been involved in the process surrounding its opening and allocation of spaces.

The disagreement has left traders caught between competing directives, with business owners calling for a lasting solution that will allow them to operate without fear of eviction or disruption.

Natembeya’s latest directive now sets the stage for another tense moment as traders prepare to occupy the spaces allocated to them by the county government.

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