Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has publicly voiced his disapproval of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s decision to relocate traders from the Wakulima Market. Speaking at a roadside rally held at the market, Gachagua launched a scathing critique of Sakaja’s handling of the situation, accusing the governor of changing his stance after securing votes from the traders during the last elections.
The relocation of the traders, who sell fresh produce such as potatoes, pineapples, oranges, and onions, has stirred tensions between the county government and the vendors. In recent weeks, the traders have been resisting moves by the county to evict them from Wakulima Market and relocate them to a newly constructed facility on Kangundo Road. The relocation is part of an effort to decongest Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), a move that city officials argue will improve traffic flow and create more parking space. However, traders have expressed their dissatisfaction, claiming the relocation threatens their livelihoods and their businesses, which have thrived at the market for over 30 years.
Gachagua, in his fiery speech, called out Sakaja for failing to engage in proper dialogue with the traders before making the decision. The Deputy President pointed out that the governor had no problem with the traders before the elections, but now seems eager to displace them.
“Why is it that when we were looking for votes, there were no issues with the traders at the market? Why is it that after the election was won, you now blame the traders for congestion in the CBD?” Gachagua questioned, receiving cheers from the gathered traders.
The Deputy President urged Governor Sakaja to hold discussions with the traders and find a solution that would not jeopardize their livelihoods. He emphasized that the traders have played a crucial role in the city’s economy for decades, and displacing them without adequate consultation would be both unfair and harmful.
“I have respectfully asked the governor, without any arrogance, not to be a person who changes tune. I have asked him to sit down with the traders for talks,” Gachagua stated.
Despite the county government’s push to move the traders, tensions between the two sides have escalated in recent weeks. On September 12, clashes between the traders and police erupted after the county served an eviction notice and tried to enforce the relocation to Kangundo Road. The traders, who argue that the new location is far from their customers and lacks essential infrastructure, resisted the move, leading to a standoff with law enforcement.
Gachagua also addressed accusations that his defense of the traders stems from a tribal bias. Some critics have accused the Deputy President of being a tribalist, particularly as a significant number of the traders at Wakulima Market are from the Mt. Kenya region, Gachagua’s political stronghold. However, Gachagua rejected these claims, stating that the market comprises traders from all tribes and that his advocacy is purely about protecting the economic well-being of all Nairobians.
“This market has all tribes. If Mt Kenya people are many in the market, I cannot be blamed. When the Mt Kenya people from the market were voting for you, why didn’t you complain that they were too many?” Gachagua said, in an apparent rebuke of Governor Sakaja’s actions.
The Deputy President’s intervention is likely to add to the mounting pressure on Sakaja’s administration to review the decision to relocate the traders. For the time being, the traders remain defiant, refusing to move from the CBD despite the county’s insistence that their presence is a major contributor to congestion.
As the stalemate continues, it remains to be seen whether Gachagua’s call for dialogue will lead to a resolution or if the traders will continue to resist the relocation plans. With the Wakulima Market serving as an essential hub for fresh produce distribution across the city, the outcome of this dispute will have significant implications not just for the traders, but also for Nairobi’s food supply chain and the smooth functioning of its city center.
Governor Sakaja has yet to formally respond to Gachagua’s remarks, but the growing tension between the city’s leadership and the business community indicates that a resolution may require more than just political rhetoric. For now, the fate of the traders remains uncertain, as they continue their battle to stay in a place they have called their economic home for decades.
