Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka has condemned the deployment of water tankers and water cannons at Masinde Muliro Market in Kitale, accusing the national government of using state power to intimidate Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, October 19, 2026, Wamboka questioned the use of force at the market, warning that the incident raised concerns about devolution, constitutional boundaries and the dignity of residents.
“Deploying water tankers and water cannons at Masinde Muliro Market Kitale is a disturbing misuse of state power that raises serious questions about respect for devolution, constitutional boundaries, and the dignity of our people,” Wamboka said.
The MP lamented that the market, named after freedom fighter Muliro wa Makinia, had become a centre of political tension instead of serving traders and residents.
He maintained that deploying state machinery against Natembeya would neither silence residents nor resolve concerns over the management and allocation of market stalls.
“No amount of state force, threats, or pressure directed at Governor George Natembeya can erase the people’s aspirations or silence their concerns over a market they identify with,” he added.
Market Dispute Escalates
The confrontation stems from a disagreement over the allocation of stalls at the market, with Natembeya accusing the national government of removing traders he had selected and replacing them with individuals whose identities and selection he questioned.
The governor maintains that the facility was constructed to relocate traders operating along roads and provide them with a designated space to conduct business.
Speaking amid the dispute, Natembeya accused unnamed individuals of displacing the traders he had mobilised to occupy the market.
“Mimi nimejenga soko, nimemaliza, nimesanya wafanyabiashara wote nawajingiza kwa soko. Yeye amekuja amewatoa wote, ameingiza watu ambao mimi sijui amewatoa wapi,” he said.
The governor further vowed to ensure that traders from Trans Nzoia occupied the facility, despite the standoff with the national government.
“Wacha wakuje na mabunduki, wacha wakuje na mabomu, lakini mimi naingiza wafanyabiashara wa Trans Nzoia ndani ya soko,” Natembeya declared.
Murkomen’s Attack on Natembeya
The latest developments come a day after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen criticised Natembeya over reported plans to organise protests against the location of a KSh1 billion hospital launched by President William Ruto.
Speaking during a church service in Kapsabet, Nandi County, on Sunday, October 18, Murkomen sharply rebuked the governor over his reported opposition to the project.
“I have never seen that level of stupidity, Your Excellency,” Murkomen said.
The CS defended the hospital project, arguing that it would improve access to healthcare for residents of Trans Nzoia and neighbouring counties.
The exchange has intensified the political dispute between the national government and the Trans Nzoia governor, with the market’s management and the hospital’s location emerging as points of contention.
Wamboka’s intervention adds to the criticism surrounding the handling of the Kitale market dispute, placing renewed focus on the role of national and county governments in managing public facilities and protecting the interests of local traders.
