Court summons Kiambu police bosses over Ngoliba market row

A Kiambu court has summoned the county commissioner and County Police Commander Doris Kemei for allegedly allowing the continued construction of the controversial Ngoliba Market in Thika, despite clear court orders halting the project.

Also summoned are the Officer Commanding Station Ngoliba Police Station and the Officer Commanding Police Division Thika East, who are required to explain why they should not be jailed for contempt of court for failing to enforce the orders stopping the construction works.

In a ruling delivered by Environment and Land Court Judge Lady Justice Ann Mogeni, the court issued a Notice to Show Cause directing senior administrators and police commanders to personally appear before the court.

Justice Mogeni ordered that the OCS Ngoliba, the OCPD Kiambu East, the County Police Commander, the Deputy County Commissioner, the Kiambu County Commissioner, and the directors of Enchanting Mombasa Limited should attend court and show cause why they should not be punished for contempt of orders issued on March 28, April 1, and April 9, 2025.

The judge further directed the High Court Deputy Registrar to organise a site visit by all parties before February 3, 2026, as part of ongoing contempt proceedings against senior officials accused of defying court orders.

In an earlier ruling, the court ordered Enchanting Mombasa Limited, the contractor accused of carrying out illegal construction, to immediately withdraw from the Ngoliba Market site. Police officers guarding the area were also directed to vacate the premises and cease any involvement in the project.

However, the orders were allegedly ignored, prompting traders and the Kiambu County Government to seek the jailing of security officials for contempt, arguing they failed to enforce the directives despite being duly served.

The controversy stems from competing claims over the Ngoliba Market project. On September 20, 2024, the Kiambu County Government, through its Department of Trade, advertised a tender to construct a Sh50 million market complex at Ngoliba Shopping Centre along the Thika–Garissa Highway.

The proposed project was to include stalls for dozens of traders, an ICT hub, a baby nursery, a cold room, stores, administrative offices and ablution facilities.

However, on November 13, 2024, the State Department of Housing and Urban Development also advertised a tender for the same market under the Economic Stimulus Programme.

The county government later conducted a public participation exercise in January 2025 to present the market designs to traders and identified a contractor, in a forum led by Trade CEC Susan Gatwiri and attended by area MCA Joachim Njama.

Two months later, Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a, accompanied by supporters appeared at the site with heavy machinery and briefly launched the project, insisting it was her initiative under the national government.

The MP reportedly ordered county officials to keep off the site and deployed more than 100 police officers from various stations to guard the construction.

Justice Mogeni barred any dealings with the suit property pending the inter partes hearing of the case.