- Linda Mwananchi released a statement accusing President William Ruto of interfering with the KSh 874 million Masinde Muliro Market in Kitale
- The market, built by the Trans Nzoia County Government, falls under devolved jurisdiction, with Governor George Natembeya at the centre of the dispute
- Protests erupted on Monday as police deployed water cannons and barred Natembeya from accessing the contested project
Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
Linda Mwananchi Movement has accused President William Ruto of attempting to attach himself to the Masinde Muliro Market in Kitale, a KSh 874,280,383 project built under the Trans Nzoia County Government, as a dispute between the head of state and Governor George Natembeya over the facility intensified on Monday, October 19.
Source: Facebook
The statement, signed by Pauline Njoroge, Head of Communication at Linda Mwananchi's National Secretariat, came on a day when police deployed water cannons at the market to prevent Natembeya from accessing it, with arrests reported amid protests by residents backing the governor.
History of the Masinde Muliro Market
The market, named after liberation icon Pius Henry Masinde Muliro, was commissioned in the financial year 2017/18.
In the financial year 2023/24, the Auditor General raised queries over delays, cost variations, and land ownership concerns at the site.
Those queries were inherited by Governor Natembeya from the previous regime, who was subsequently directed by the Senate's County Public Investments Committee (CPIC) to resolve the outstanding issues.
According to Linda Mwananchi, the CPIC later conducted an inspection of the project and cleared the county government, with the audit queries resolved, and Natembeya was applauded by the committee.
"The committee appreciated the efforts of the county govt in resolving the audit queries. The current status is that the audit queries have been resolved, and Governor Natembeya was applauded by the Senate CPIC Committee," the statement said.
Linda Mwananchi's accusations against Ruto
The movement alleged that Ruto's push to associate himself with the market demonstrated a shortage of national government projects to launch across the country, and raised concerns about his motivations regarding large infrastructure projects.
"Ruto's determination to attach himself to the market not only exposes his evident lack of national government projects to launch across the country, but also raises concerns that he is seeking another avenue to be a supplier-contractor-seller of another big project, as he has done with the affordable housing scheme," the statement read.
Linda Mwananchi framed Natembeya's resistance as part of a broader defence of Kenya's devolution framework, describing the governor as a "devolution warrior" acting in line with constitutional provisions.
The movement, led by Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna, declared its solidarity with Natembeya and the residents of Trans Nzoia county, insisting the market must serve the community for which it was constructed, with full respect for devolution, the Constitution, and the rule of law.
Source: Twitter
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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