Kitengela traders criticise plan to move them to stadium

Mercy Wangui, a trader at Kitengela market, speaks during a meeting at the market on Sunday. [Peterson Githaiga]

Trouble is brewing in Kitengela after the deadline to relocate traders from town market to a nearby stadium lapsed.

Kajiado County Government gave the traders a one-week notice to relocate to the stadium to pave way for construction of an ultra-modern market that will cost more than Sh40 million.

The notice ended yesterday.

The money will be channeled through the Nairobi Metropolitan Services Improvement Projects fund.

Although the more than 2,000 traders say they support the construction of the market by the World Bank, they have strongly objected to being relocated to the Kitengela Stadium site without proper arrangements.

According to market Chairman Samwel Mugo Kibe, the county government has failed to give directions on how the traders will be allocated space at the new site.

“We don’t want a situation where those who have been in this market for many years will lose their positions,” said Kibe.

He said after the 2015 skirmishes at the same market, more than Sh600 million was allocated to construct the same market but nothing was done.

Speaking during a stormy meeting in the town, the traders said they were also afraid that the new site was bare and with no toilet.

“How do we move to a place where there’s no toilet or shelter,” posed Mr Kibe.