Traders at Kitale’s Masinde Muliro Modern Market have urged President William Ruto to reverse a directive on stall allocation and management, accusing authorities of sidelining established businesses in favour of new entrants.
The traders want the President to intervene in the dispute involving County Commissioner Alason Hussein, warning that the contested allocation process threatens their livelihoods after years of trading in the area.
Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Trans Nzoia chairman Titus Kilongi said uncertainty over stall ownership, revenue collection and market management had left traders anxious about their economic future.
“We cannot have two arms of government pulling in different directions,” Kilongi said, calling for clarity on the respective roles of the national and county governments in managing markets.
He said some traders who had operated in the area for years were displaced during redevelopment despite holding allotment letters, raising questions about why they could not reclaim their businesses.
Kilongi urged Ruto to consult KNCCI and the wider business community before making decisions affecting traders, saying direct engagement would help resolve the dispute.
Catherine Mbomere, one of the affected traders, said those who operated in the area before demolitions began had been promised a return to business after construction and had received official allotment letters from the county government.
“I appeal to President Ruto to intervene and scrutinise the allocation process to establish how the stalls were distributed. People who are not part of the existing business community have taken over spaces that were previously occupied by local traders,” Mbomere said.
Soko Mjinga Wholesale and Retail chairman Solomon Wanyonyi said the traders had operated along the roadside for more than 15 years and expected to reclaim their spaces once the modern market was completed.
He said the redevelopment was understood to be aimed at providing better facilities without shutting out the traders who had built businesses in the area.
“The developments have left us uncertain about our future. We want the authorities to explain how the stalls were allocated and why traders who have operated in the area for more than 15 years have been left out,” Wanyonyi said.
Trans Nzoia business community leader Stanley Mapesa also demanded transparency, calling on the county administration to explain the criteria used to determine who qualifies for stalls.
Mapesa raised concerns over reports that some stalls were being occupied or offered for sale to individuals whose eligibility was in question, urging authorities to investigate the claims.
Beyond the allocation dispute, the traders want the national and county governments to clarify who will manage the market, collect revenue and oversee essential services, including water and electricity.
They warned that conflicting directives and unclear management arrangements could expose traders to competing demands and disrupt business operations.
The business community called for a review of allotment letters, an investigation into disputed allocations and a clear framework for managing the facility.
Kilongi said Ruto might have received incomplete information about the dispute and urged him to hear directly from affected traders before determining the way forward.
The traders said they remained open to negotiations but insisted that their grievances must be addressed before the disputed arrangements proceed.
