- Gachagua who spoke in his native Kikuyu dialect asked the governor to halt plans to relocate the traders and hold consultations with the affected lot.
- Sakaja, however, said the DP missed the whole point of what the city-county government was doing for the traders.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said the decision to relocate Marikiti traders to Kangundo Road Market is unstoppable.
He also clarified that his government has no plans to get rid of Marikiti Market.
The county boss condemned what he termed as incitement of traders at the market by Deputy Governor Rigathi Gachagua saying the continued sale of wares by the roadside endangers the lives of the traders.
"To Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua I say: If only you had taken your phone and called me as I had suggested, you would have learnt a few things,” Sakaja said in a statement on Friday.
It came on the backdrop of remarks by the DP during his interaction with traders and the people at Marikiti market early Friday.
Gachagua who spoke in his native Kikuyu dialect asked the governor to halt plans to relocate the traders and hold consultations with the affected lot.
Sakaja, however, said the DP missed the whole point of what the county government was doing for the traders.
“My government has no plan to relocate the Marikiti Market. Selected produce will be delivered wholesale to the other markets we have built using taxpayers' money. What we will not allow are traders endangering their lives by selling their wares on the roadside. They will move to Kangundo Road Market,” Sakaja said.
He gave credence to his position by referencing an incident in June last year where 52 roadside traders lost their lives in Londiani, Kericho county after a truck ploughed into them as they went about their business.
"Thirty of them sustained life-changing injuries. These people cannot come back to life. I have a duty and mandate that will not let me fall for populist political gimmicks at the expense of the lives and safety of Nairobians," Sakaja said.
"A leader of your calibre should provide informed solutions in our country. Nairobi is a cosmopolitan global hub that will operate in an orderly manner."
Sakaja said the move to relocate the traders was reached in consultation with the farmers where he met the leadership of Wakulima/Marikiti Market last week.
"We agreed on these and other measures that will ease congestion in the market and improve the safety and welfare of our traders and citizens,” he said.
Sakaja said city residents are all in agreement that order must rein in the city and the leadership of the market is in support of the move.
"Nairobi is a cosmopolitan global hub that will operate in an orderly manner. I can assure you of that. I know you are dealing with other weighty and impending political issues. Keep the people of Nairobi out of it," Sakaja said.