On Wednesday, a fact-finding and inspection visit by Kirinyaga county assembly MCAs to the Kagio agricultural produce market was marred by drama as two groups of traders engaged in a bitter exchange of words. The meeting aimed to find ways to settle the issue of street traders operating outside the market premises, ahead of an upcoming market expansion in a neighboring parcel of land to be purchased by the county government.
During a media briefing by MCA Geoffrey Murimi on the deliberations reached in a private meeting with the traders’ representatives, a disgruntled trader interrupted the interview with a protest. Murimi called on all traders hawking outside the market to move their businesses within the facility for their own health safety as the county prepares for the market expansion project. He clarified that funds for land purchase and construction of the new facility had been factored into the upcoming budget.
However, some traders voiced their opposition, urging the county to first purchase the land before constructing the market to accommodate them. Murimi dismissed their complaints, stating that there was enough space to accommodate all traders and accused some individuals of politicizing the issue to sabotage the county’s plan.
Assembly majority leader Muriithi Kibinga urged all traders to resume their operations in the market from the next day, as there were ample stalls for everyone. He criticized some operators for refusing to allow their colleagues to operate from within, citing ownership of several stalls they were unwilling to let go of. The county plans to allocate Sh30 million in the upcoming financial year to facilitate the two-phase expansion of the market. Kibinga advised the county to deal directly with the landowners and avoid land brokers to ease the land purchasing process.
Some traders called on their colleagues who own multiple stalls to show compassion and accommodate those operating outside, while urging the county to hasten the land purchase process to avoid land appreciation in value. Murimi clarified that the county had not increased any tax fees, and the current fee was what traders had been paying all along.
