Kitale market launch deepens Ruto, Natembeya political supremacy war

What began as a presidential development tour in Trans Nzoia County has escalated into an open political confrontation between President William Ruto and Governor George Natembeya.

Running battles between Natembeya’s supporters and police rocked Kitale  on Friday night when he and his Linda Mwananchi allies stormed the town, a few minutes after President Ruto opened the Kitale Municipal market that was allegedly constructed by the county government. But the launch did not settle the political dispute.

The same evening, the Linda Mwananchi brigade, led by Natembeya, Sifuna, Jack Wamboka and other leaders, made its way towards the market, drawing a large crowd of supporters behind it in the night event.

Videos circulating online showed Natembeya’s motorcade and Ruto’s motorcade passing each other around the Kitale flyover. The rival appearances underscored the competing political messages being projected in the town.

The Linda Mwananchi team’s arrival was met with tear gas and a heavy police presence. After moving through the area amid the tear gas, the leaders eventually addressed their supporters.

Addressing the crowd, Sifuna framed the dispute as a question of constitutional authority and the relationship between the national and county governments.

 Disputes over who should control the Masinde Muliro Market in Kitale are now emerging as the centre of a bitter contest over development, authority and political loyalty. A tug of war is also developing over the Wamalwa Kijana Level Five Memorial Hospital.

“President came here to allocate the market to traders from Uganda who have been given identity cards to vote for him and other bad leaders in 2027 but even if it leads to my death I will make sure the market is allocated to the correct people on Monday," said Natembeya

Ruto’s allies, like Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, have been roped in and are openly calling for Natembeya’s replacement in the 2027 General Election.

The dispute has escalated further after the CS asked the Inspector General of Police to withdraw security officers assigned to Natembeya.

The governor demanded an explanation from Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja, adding another point of contention to the deteriorating relationship.

Murkomen defended the move, accusing Natembeya of associating with goons and planning violence.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other leaders allied to the Linda Mwananchi brigade have thrown their weight behind Natembeya and the situation is quickly degenerating into a security risk.

The first major confrontation unfolded during Ruto’s roadside address in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County, on Mazingira Day.

The President turned his attention to Natembeya’s political slogan, portraying the governor’s opposition to his administration as an obstacle to development.

“I have the funds to build a hospital here, but this ‘Tawe, Tawe’ attitude, this habit of opposing everything is the reason Trans-Nzoia is in this state,” Ruto said.

Murkomen backed the President, accusing Natembeya of frustrating plans to construct a hospital and upgrade Kitale Stadium. He questioned whether one individual should be allowed to stand in the way of projects intended to benefit residents.

Invoking the Shakahola tragedy, the Interior CS claimed Natembeya had turned the hospital into a grave yard. The President has now picked up the same narrative, claiming without proof that the governor is benefitting from coffin business.

“Mr. President, should this governor, a single individual, be allowed to block people, leading to deaths like those in Shakahola? Or should we deal with this governor ourselves, so that you can go ahead and build that hospital?” Murkomen said.

 Murkomen then turned the dispute towards the next General Election, openly suggesting that Natembeya should be replaced.

“I want to give you an assurance, and I speak as a resident of Trans Nzoia, that next year we will provide you with a governor who will work with you,” he said.

The remarks made the political implications of the disagreement unmistakable. What had been presented as a dispute over development was now also a challenge to Natembeya’s continued leadership of the county.

Natembeya responded the following day, rejecting the suggestion that his authority depended on his relationship with the President.

He drew a distinction between a governor elected by the people and an administrator serving under the national government.

“Mr. President, I am not who you might take me for; when you look at me, you might see a County Commissioner or a Regional Commissioner. But I am the Governor of Trans Nzoia. Elected by the people. I am not answerable to you,” Natembeya said.

He also challenged the way Ruto conducted his visits to the county, arguing that communication between the two offices would allow them to coordinate development activities without turning them into public confrontations.

“I run my county here. If you are coming to Trans Nzoia, you must personally call and say, ‘Governor, I am coming to your area on such-and-such a day; I would like us to visit some places together.’ I’ll be there,” he said.

The governor’s response placed the dispute within a wider question about devolution: whether cooperation between the national and county governments should depend on political agreement between their elected leaders.

For Ruto and his allies, Natembeya’s opposition was obstructing development. For the governor, the demand for cooperation could not mean surrendering his political independence or county mandate.

Masinde Muliro Market would soon become the physical centre of that disagreement.

Natembeya accused the national government of preparing to take credit for a project his administration had helped complete after construction stalled.

“Now he’s coming to open the market even though he admitted that he started building it in 2017 but couldn’t finish it. I stepped in and completed it; I installed the roofing, I put in the shops inside. I’ve done everything; I’ve finished it all,” the governor said.

He dismissed Ruto’s claim that his administration was bringing development to Trans Nzoia.

“I mean, Ruto doesn’t have a single project in Trans Nzoia. The very person who claimed I have rejected development is now coming to launch my projects,” Natembeya said.

He threatened to reopen the facility himself after the President’s departure.

“If you come to open that market, the moment you step away, I will come, remove your things, and open it myself. Because it belongs to me,” he said.

Natembeya’s administration subsequently conducted an opening and allocation of stalls at the market, reporting that 2,700 traders had benefited from the modern facility.

Ruto, however, offered a different account of the project’s history, saying he had intervened after construction stalled for four years.

“I stepped in because the market had stalled for four years. I told PS Hinga to look for the little money left to complete the construction of the market so that we can settle the businessmen and women who had been displaced to pave the way for the construction of the market,” Ruto said.

Ruto announced KSh15 million in support for affected traders, saying each of the 1,500 entrepreneurs would receive KSh10,000 to help them continue their businesses.

The President said the facility contained 2,980 trading spaces and cold-storage facilities, presenting it as a modern and organised business environment for Kitale traders.

The competing accounts left the market at the heart of the political dispute. Ruto presented his intervention as the final push needed to complete a stalled project and restore traders to business. Natembeya maintained that his administration had played a decisive role in completing the facility and accused the national government of taking credit for county work.

The National Police Service condemned the clashes that rocked the town after Ruto's departure in a statement issued on Friday, saying two law enforcement officers had been injured and two government vehicles damaged.

“The National Police Service (NPS) strongly condemns the conduct of certain politicians who contravened the Public Order Act, Cap 56, in an incident that occurred today, 16th October 2026, in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County,” the statement read.

Police said preliminary reports indicated that some politicians had contravened the Public Order Act, undermining public order and endangering public safety.

The events of Friday have left Trans Nzoia facing another tense moment, with Natembeya calling on residents and traders to return to the market as police condemn the clashes.

Ruto has launched the facility and presented his administration as instrumental in completing the project. Natembeya, however, has refused to concede the political argument, insisting that his county government deserves recognition and that traders must receive their rightful stalls.

Murkomen’s call for a new governor has added an electoral dimension, while Sifuna’s involvement has connected the confrontation to the political alignments taking shape ahead of 2027.

For traders, the immediate concerns are the allocation of stalls, compensation and the ability to resume business without disruption. For the political leaders, the market has become a test of authority, development claims and public loyalty.

Monday could provide the next indication of whether the confrontation will ease or escalate further. The police warning, the injuries and vehicle damage reported after Friday’s clashes have added urgency to concerns about public safety.

The market may now be officially open, but the dispute over who deserves credit for it and who has the authority to determine what happens next remains unresolved.

In Kitale, the Ruto–Natembeya showdown is no longer just about a market. It is a battle over development, devolution and having free, credible and fair elections in 2027, not only for Trans Nzoia but the wider region.