GSU Officers Deployed to Kitale Market as Ruto and Natembeya Clash Over 2,700 Stalls

Heavy police presence including GSU officers and water cannons surrounds Masinde Muliro Market in Kitale as the dispute between President William Ruto and Governor George Natembeya intensifies. The fight is over control and allocation of its 2,700 stalls.

Security was heightened on Monday after Natembeya directed traders holding county-issued allocation letters to occupy the facility from Tuesday. He framed the move as compliance with a court order. He insisted that the market sits on public land under the jurisdiction of the county.

GSU officers conducted patrols around the multi-storey complex. It has remained under tight security for weeks.

The standoff began after Ruto officially commissioned the market in mid-October. The President said the national government stepped in to complete a project that had stalled for years. He directed priority allocation to more than 1,500 traders displaced by the construction.

Natembeya countered that the county government funded and built the facility at a cost of about Ksh874 million. He accused the national government of political interference in a devolved function.

In late October the county issued a 24-hour notice ordering occupants to vacate. It cited the absence of an occupation certificate. It also questioned the legitimacy of some allocations made after the presidential handover.

Traders have been caught in the middle. Many report disrupted business and uncertainty over whose letters are valid. They also fear losing their livelihoods.

Earlier flashpoints included water cannon deployments and a heavy police presence in October. This was when Natembeya planned visits or prayer meetings at the site. Rival political groups have traded accusations of undermining devolution and of safeguarding national investment.

The latest security operation underscores unresolved questions of ownership and management. It also raises the issue of fair allocation. As traders attempt to move in under the directive of the governor the market remains a flashpoint in the wider contest between the national government and the Trans Nzoia administration.

https://x.com/KenyanSays/status/2120128304086757559?a=JDTa9wKK0VSaDr5ab84&s=19

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