NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 12 – Wakulima market traders on Thursday clashed with the police as they resisted a move by the Nairobi County Government to relocate them to Kangundo Road.
The traders had been served with an eviction notice on Tuesday and asked to relocate, a move that did not sit well with them.
This was part of City Hall’s larger plans to settle traders at Kangundo Road.
In the notice, signed by acting County Secretary Godfrey Akumali, Potato, Pineapple, oranges and onion traders had been asked to move to the newly opened Kangundo Road market.
This was in a bid to decongest the Central Business District to allow free flow of traffic and to provide parking space.
The changes were to take effect, immediately.
“It has been decided that all onion, pineapple, oranges and Potato traders operating outside and inside the market relocate to Kangundo Road Market where there is spacious trading space and ample parking for business,” Akumali directed.
Officials said Kangundo Road Market is spacious and the traders should not worry about customers.
They argued that customers would follow the traders to the new market.
At about 4 am on Thursday County security officials arrived and started to clear the stalls that the traders operate from.
According to some traders, this sparked outrage and anger prompting them to pelt stones at the security officials.
They vowed not to move out saying the place they are being moved to is already occupied.
The group lit bonfires and used boulders to block the busy road as police tried to use teargas canisters to disperse them.
This caused a huge traffic jam on the road and adjacent ones before personnel were deployed to direct them elsewhere.
The standoff continued for hours as the traders demanded a chat with Governor Johnson Sakaja.
“The governor needs to come here personally and not to send his people to talk to us. We need assurance,” said one trader.
The market is popular with vegetables.
The traders managed to chase the county officials as police also stood a distance watching them block the road.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said the protests had disrupted traffic flow.
“We have called all concerned parties to come for talks to solve this mess,” he said.
The county government has been moving traders from a number of markets to others as part of efforts to clean the mess created at the sites.
There have been complaints that the traders at Wakulima Market flock to the busy roads there to sell their produce hence blocking the routes.
