By Mandere Onyinkwa
Linda Mwananchi has accused President William Ruto of interfering with the Masinde Muliro Market in Kitale, arguing that the project falls under the mandate of county governments.
In a statement issued on Monday, the group defended Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, saying the county government commissioned the market in the 2017/18 financial year at a cost of Sh874.28 million.
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The statement, signed by Linda Mwananchi head of communication Pauline Njoroge, said the market was built by the county government and should be managed in a manner that respects the constitutional division of functions between the national and county governments.
“The function of building markets rests squarely with the devolved units, and the market in Kitale was indeed constructed by the Trans Nzoia County Government,” the statement said.
The group also invoked the legacy of Pius Henry Masinde Muliro, the veteran politician and advocate of devolution after whom the market is named, saying the facility represented more than a trading venue for residents of Trans Nzoia.
Senate committee reviewed project
Linda Mwananchi said the Office of the Auditor-General raised queries in its 2023/24 audit report over delays in completing the market, seven extensions granted to the contractor, variations in the project cost, questions over land ownership documentation and the contractor’s absence during a physical inspection on September 10, 2024.
The statement said the audit queries had been inherited by Natembeya from the previous county administration.
It added that the Senate County Public Investments Committee (CPIC) directed the governor to address the queries and complete the project to ensure value for money.
According to the group, the committee later inspected the project and acknowledged the county government’s efforts to resolve the audit concerns and complete the market.
“The current status is that the audit queries have been resolved and Governor Natembeya was applauded by the Senate CPIC Committee,” the statement said.
The group did not provide copies of the audit report or the committee’s findings alongside its statement.
Group questions national government’s role
Linda Mwananchi accused Ruto of seeking to associate himself with a project undertaken by the county government, arguing that such involvement risked undermining devolution.
The group also alleged that the President’s interest in the market could be linked to commercial interests, drawing comparisons with the affordable housing programme. It did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation.
The statement further criticised the deployment of police and heavy security at the market during the dispute, describing it as intimidation directed at Natembeya and his supporters.
It said the governor’s push to defend the county’s role in the project reflected a broader struggle to protect constitutional devolution.
“The Masinde Muliro Market must serve the people for whom it was built, with full respect for devolution, the Constitution and the rule of law,” the group said.
Political tensions over devolution
Linda Mwananchi urged Natembeya and Trans Nzoia residents to remain steadfast, saying the dispute was part of a wider contest over the powers of county governments.
The group also launched a political attack on Ruto, accusing his administration of failing to deliver sufficiently on its promises and predicting that voters would remove it from office at the next election.
It called on Kenyans to defend the constitutional gains made under devolution and resist what it described as attempts to extend the national government’s economic approach to projects undertaken by counties.
