Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has vowed to push ahead with the allocation of stalls at a county market despite a dispute with President William Ruto over the traders who should occupy the facility.
Natembeya accused the President of removing traders he had selected and replacing them with individuals whose identities and selection process he questioned.
Speaking during a public gathering on Saturday, October 17, 2026, the governor maintained that the market had been completed and that he had already organised local traders to move into the facility before the President intervened.
He said the project was intended to provide a designated trading space for businesspeople who had been operating along roadsides.
“Mimi nimejenga soko, nimemaliza, nimesanya wafanyabiashara wote nawajingiza kwa soko. Yeye amekuja amewatoa wote, ameingiza watu ambao mimi sijui amewatoa wapi,” Natembeya said.
The governor vowed to ensure traders from Trans Nzoia occupy the market, signalling that he would not back down despite the disagreement with the national government.
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“Wacha wakuje na mabunduki, wacha wakuje na mabomu, lakini mimi naingiza wafanyabiashara wa Trans Nzoia ndani ya soko,” he said.
Natembeya disputes Ruto’s role in market project
The latest remarks deepen an ongoing dispute over the market’s construction, funding and allocation of business spaces.
Natembeya has maintained that the county government and the World Bank financed the project, disputing any suggestion that the facility should be used to advance a separate allocation arrangement.
During another public gathering on Saturday, October 10, 2026, the governor insisted that the project had been funded through county resources and World Bank support.
“Mimi nimejenga sokoni, nimemaliza pesa ya county na pesa ya World Bank. Hakuna hata ndururu ya Ruto hapo,” he said.
The dispute centres on who should determine the traders who occupy the market, with Natembeya insisting that local businesspeople were the intended beneficiaries.
The disagreement has also added to political tensions between the governor and the President, who have differed over development projects and Natembeya’s political mobilisation under the “Tawe” slogan.
Governor questions national government involvement
Natembeya has also criticised what he considers attempts to elevate the provincial administration above county governments, arguing that such an approach undermines the principles of devolution.
“When you start raising the provincial administration above the county government, you are missing the point,” he said.
He argued that the provincial administration should coordinate government functions rather than interfere with the responsibilities of elected county leaders.
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The remarks reflect wider disagreements over the respective roles of national and county governments in implementing development projects and managing local affairs.
Row follows security dispute
The market controversy comes days after Natembeya demanded an explanation from Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja over the second withdrawal of his security detail.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 15, 2026, the governor cited Article 47 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to fair administrative action.
“I therefore call upon the Inspector-General of the National Police Service to provide a formal explanation of the reasons for this decision and to clarify whether the applicable security procedures have been followed,” he stated.
Natembeya said he was not opposed to lawful security reviews but insisted that decisions affecting his protection should comply with the Constitution.
The latest exchanges come as political alignments and rivalries take shape ahead of the 2027 General Election, with disputes over development projects and the relationship between national and county leadership increasingly featuring in the political contest.
