Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has lashed out at Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of using tribal politics to mislead traders and undermine crucial safety reforms in the city. The dispute centers around the relocation of roadside traders from the congested Wakulima/Marikiti Market to the newly constructed Kangundo Road Market.
Governor Sakaja, in a sharp response to Gachagua’s remarks at the Marikiti Market earlier today, said the Deputy President’s speech, delivered in vernacular, misrepresented the Nairobi County government’s plans and risked endangering lives by inciting traders against the proposed relocation.
“Today’s activities leave me no choice,” Sakaja said. “As elected leaders, we have a responsibility to protect our people and provide them with opportunities to make something out of themselves. What we will not allow are traders endangering their lives by selling their wares on the roadside.”
The relocation plan, according to Sakaja, is aimed at addressing the chronic congestion in Nairobi’s central business district and improving safety for traders. The governor referenced a tragic accident in June 2023, where 52 traders were killed in Londiani, Kericho County, when a truck lost control and ploughed into them. “These people cannot come back to life,” Sakaja emphasized, noting that the county’s relocation strategy is meant to prevent similar incidents from happening in Nairobi.
Gachagua had accused the governor of betraying the very traders who supported his election campaign by relocating them from Wakulima Market. “When we were campaigning at Wakulima Market, there were a lot of people, and no one had a problem after receiving many votes,” Gachagua said, adding that he felt the traders had been abandoned in favor of unnecessary reforms.
Sakaja, however, dismissed these claims, stating that his government has been in continuous dialogue with the traders. “I personally met the leadership of Wakulima/Marikiti Market last week. We agreed on measures that will ease congestion in the market and improve the safety and welfare of our traders and citizens,” he said. The governor made it clear that the relocation of traders is a matter of public safety and urban planning, not political maneuvering.
Sakaja also challenged the Deputy President’s understanding of the city’s dynamics, saying, “If only you had taken your phone and called me as I had suggested, you would have learned a few things. My government has no plan to relocate the Marikiti Market itself. Selected produce will be delivered wholesale to the other markets we have built using taxpayers’ money.”
Addressing Gachagua’s tribal rhetoric, Sakaja warned against using Nairobi as a platform for ethnic divisions. “A leader of your calibre should provide informed solutions and not stoke tribal disunity in our country,” he said, adding that Nairobi’s cosmopolitan nature requires orderly governance.
