Traders locked out of Kitale market as Ruto, Natembeya tensions spill over

The power struggle over control of Kitale's multi-million-shilling Masinde Muliro Modern Market escalated on Tuesday after heavily deployed police officers blocked traders allocated stalls by the Trans Nzoia County Government from accessing the facility.The standoff, which persisted on Wednesday, exposed deepening divisions between Governor George Natembeya's administration and the national government over the management and allocation of trading spaces at the market, which was commissioned by President William Ruto on October 16.