Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua, MP in tussle over market

BY LYDIAH NYAWIRA

Nyeri County: Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua is at loggerheads with local MP Esther Murugi over the utilisation of the Sh223 million open air market in the county.

The two have clashed over the fate of traders operating within and without the market that was opened late last year by former President Mwai Kibaki.

As the tiff escalates, Murugi has written a hard-hitting letter to the governor accusing him of failing to follow laid down procedures to ensure sanity prevails at the premise.

Murugi accused the county government of acting in a discriminatory manner by allowing some traders to operate outside the market by paying a minimal fee.

“By allowing some to trade within the enclosed market and pay all the fees while others trade outside and pay partial fees, your government is hurting the business of those operating from inside the market,” read part of the letter.

Murugi urged the governor to adhere to the bylaws of the town to the letter

The group that operates from outside the market led by their Chairman Josphat Maina said they have been working outside the market for over 15-years.

“We pay Sh5,400 per year in council fees and yet those inside the market pay Sh2,400 per year and it is an insult for Murugi to say we pay peanuts,” Maina, whose group is referred to as Mutaro, said.

The group told Murugi to stay out of the issue saying they had faith in the governor to resolve their issues without bias.

The traders from the Mutaro Group have been involved in a bitter tussle including public confrontations with Kamukunji Market traders who work within the market stalls.

Before the market was opened by Kibaki, traders from both groups sold their goods together harmoniously in an adjacent open field.

However, once the market was commissioned and opened, the allocation of the stalls brought about hostility between the two groups with Mutaro Youth Group claiming that there was political mischief in the allocations.

The market, which has 500 stalls was opened in 2012 and was under the national government.

However, once the county government was put in place, the market also changed ownership and was put under the governor’s jurisdiction.

On July 22, the governor’s office issued a notice for all traders selling their wares along the road in Nyeri town to vacate the roads and road reserves.

The letter gave the Mutaro Youth Group 14-days to relocate to vacant lots within the Kamukunji market.

Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Murugi said after issuing the 14-days notice, the governor failed to effect the notice and as a local leader, she tried calling the governor on August 26, but when he failed to respond, she wrote the letter urging him to resolve the issue.

“As a legislator, I am mandated to draft policies. I can seek various resources to build markets but the day- to-day running of the market is up to the governor,” Murugi said.

The governor’s office through his personal assistant, Wachira Kabukuru, said both groups have valid concerns and complaints.

“The governor himself visited the market last month and saw the complaints of the two groups first hand and assured them he would resolve the dispute, ”Kabukuru said

The PA confirmed that the governor’s office recognises both groups as legitimate traders because they have been paying for licenses to the county government.

“These people want to run their businesses in peace, the only problem is the location of their businesses,” he noted.

Kabukuru said they are in the process of resolving some of the concerns raised including double allocation within the market.

“We can confirm that some of those who are trading outside the market have stalls within the market and we are in the process of identifying them,” Kabukuru said adding: “We have identified a parcel of land near Kamukunji market where we can resettle the Mutaro youth,” Kabukuru confirmed.

[email protected]