Reprieve for Marikiti traders as court stops County from relocating them to Kangundo
Wakulima Market traders engage anti-riot police in running battles over their eviction from the market. Francis Nderitu | Nation
It is a reprieve for traders operating at Wakulima Market, commonly known as Marikiti after the High Court Friday, September 13 issued a temporary order stopping their relocation to the newly constructed Kangundo Road Market.
High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye suspended the notice issued by the Nairobi City County requiring the traders to move out of Marikiti.
On Thursday, County council officers and police engaged the traders to enforce the notice and move the traders to Kangundo Road market.
"Pending inter parties hearing and determination of this application, an order is hereby issued restraining the county from evicting the traders operating within or in the vicinity of Wakulima Market, Nairobi or interfering with their business operations in those areas," Justice Mwamuye ruled.
The judge also directed the traders and the county to further have a joint meeting on Tuesday next week to discuss the issue at hand and report the outcome to the court.
The case will be mentioned on September 30 for further directions.
The judge issued the orders following a case filed by all Wakulima Market Traders Association challenging the move to kick them out of Wakulima Market where they had operated for decades even before independence.
The case was necessitated by a notice issued on September 10 by the county secretary demanding they immediately relocate to Kangundo Road market.
The traders say in their petition to the court that they are the affected parties and that the county has never engaged them in any way to resolve the issues that may have necessitated the issuance of the notice.
The case will be mentioned next week for directions.
