Tension erupted at the Miraa Market in Nairobi’s Pumwani Estate as traders engaged in a three-hour standoff with police, protesting what they claimed was an attempt by a private investor to take over their market space.
The traders explained that the market, which had been allocated to them by Governor Johnson Sakaja, was now being targeted by a private developer.
This move, they said, had forced them to stage protests in a bid to protect their source of livelihood.
The rising tension and chaos led to the deployment of a large number of police officers to contain the situation.
According to the traders, the private developer aiming to take over the land was working in collaboration with a Nairobi County official who had allegedly attempted to evict them from the market.
The Miraa Market serves as the central hub where all Miraa deliveries from Meru are received and distributed. For hundreds of Miraa traders, it has been a vital source of income and stability.
The traders further claimed that the county official arrived for the eviction with police officers from Dagoretti, which raised suspicions since Pumwani falls under the jurisdiction of Eastleigh officers, who would have been the appropriate authorities to handle the matter.
The angry traders are now demanding Governor Sakaja’s intervention, urging him to take action against rogue officers whom they accuse of sabotaging their market operations.
They stressed that they had only recently been granted access to the land after lobbying for it for an extended period.
The situation could potentially escalate, as some traders suspect that a rival group, which had earlier refused to occupy the space, might be involved in the alleged land-grabbing scheme.
“We were officially assigned this market by the Governor, so we should be the ones consulted if there are any future plans regarding the use of this space,” one trader stated firmly.
“We believe that the other group, which declined to occupy the space earlier, might be behind this attempt to push us out,” he added.
Data shows that around 7.2% of Nairobi’s population consumes Miraa, with the highest consumption reported among men and younger individuals.
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