Traders perform a traditional ritual amid the dispute over stalls at Masinde Muliro Market.
Traders invoke traditional curses as Governor George Natembeya and the national government clash over stall allocation and management.
Traders at Masinde Muliro Market in Trans Nzoia County have turned to traditional rituals amid a dispute over stalls. The group slaughtered a chicken and scattered its feathers to warn off those seeking control of the spaces.
Video footage shows the traders carrying out the ritual inside the newly constructed market. They claimed anyone seizing their stalls or stepping on the feathers would face misfortune.
Meanwhile, Governor George Natembeya and the national government remain at odds over who should allocate and manage the facility.
Masinde Muliro Market allocation dispute
The dispute centres on approximately 2,700 to 3,000 stalls at the new market. Competing claims of allocation authority have fuelled tensions, alongside allegations that some units have gone to multiple buyers.
Conflicting county and national government directives have also deepened the disagreement. Traders face uncertainty over access to spaces they say they legitimately acquired, as both governments maintain their positions.
Addressing some traders on Monday, Natembeya insisted that holders of county allocation letters should occupy their stalls. He cited a court order and directed those traders to take possession of their spaces.
The governor also demanded that security officers enforce the court directive and protect traders seeking entry.
Security deployment raises tensions
Natembeya warned that he would hold the officer commanding the station personally accountable if officers failed to provide security. His demand placed enforcement of the court directive at the centre of the planned occupation.
However, General Service Unit officers have deployed to the market amid heightened tensions over access. Rival groups are seeking control of the facility as traders prepare to claim their stalls.
Deputy County Commissioner Emma Kibara, meanwhile, warned that entry by traders holding allocation letters could lead to confrontations. Her warning highlighted the risk of clashes during the planned move into the market.
President William Ruto’s earlier involvement has also added a political dimension to the county-national government standoff.
