Chaos erupted in Thika on Sunday morning after a violent clash between hired goons and Kiambu County Government officials over a newly established market.
The confrontation saw government security personnel engage in running battles with the attackers as they attempted to enforce a court order.
According to reports, the goons were transported from another location to the Ngoliba Trading Centre, where they launched an attack on county security personnel stationed at the market.
Their main objective was to protect a contractor who was allegedly defying a court order regarding the legal right to construct the market complex.
The security officers, who had been stationed at the site for several days, were overwhelmed by the attackers, who pelted them with stones, forcing them to flee for safety.
Several officers sustained serious head injuries during the skirmishes.
Amid the chaos, one of the attackers was apprehended and later confessed to being part of the group brought in to disrupt the enforcement of the court order.
“We were instructed to guard the market during construction and to ensure no disruptions,” one of the arrested individuals revealed.
The Ngoliba market project has been a source of controversy since Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a spearheaded its construction in 2024.
Disputes have arisen regarding who has the legal mandate to oversee the project, with conflicting claims from different factions.
Some insist it falls under the county government’s jurisdiction, while others support the MP’s involvement.
Tensions had been brewing in the days leading up to the violent confrontation, especially after a heavy police presence was deployed to the market following its official launch last Thursday.
The event was attended by MP Alice Ng’ang’a, Ngoliba MCA Joachim Njama, and Nominated MCA Susan Mburu.
During the launch, the MP’s supporters arrived wearing branded merchandise, seemingly sending a strong political message to her rivals.
A local Thika Town resident noted that tensions had escalated since the launch, alleging that more than 50 police officers had been deployed to block traders and county officials from accessing the market.
Despite the ongoing standoff between the MP and the county government, Ng’ang’a has vowed to continue spearheading development projects in her constituency, which includes areas such as Gatuanyaga, Kiganjo, Maguguni, and Landless.
“No one should panic; development cannot and will not be stopped,” she declared last Thursday during the launch of the KSh50 million market project.
She also accused her political opponents of being alarmed by her strong development track record.
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