United Alternative Government condemns Gikomba night raid, vows justice for traders
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua addressing Gikomba traders as other United Alternative Government leaders looks on. Photos/Courtesy.
By William Muchiri
Leaders from the United Alternative Government (UAG) yesterday joined small-scale traders in Gikomba Market, Nairobi, condemning what they described as a brutal and unjust demolition carried out under cover of darkness by the government.
The raid, which destroyed traders’ stalls without notice, sparked outrage among both political leaders and the affected business community.
UAG team leaders, including Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, former Vice President Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, former Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa, Speaker Emeritus Justin Muturi, and JB Muturi, visited the market to show solidarity with traders and to publicly denounce the demolition.
Speaking at the market, Gachagua led the leaders in criticizing the government for targeting the most vulnerable citizens while allowing the powerful to continue unchecked.
“It is an international shame and absurdity that a regime whose fortunes are dwindling has chosen to harass helpless traders at the bottom of the economic pyramid, while others loot the country to unprecedented levels,” he said.
He vowed that “your market will not be taken, and any attempts by known land grabbers will be exposed.”
Muturi described the demolition as “midnight cruelty” and a betrayal of hardworking Kenyans. “These stalls were not just structures—they represented livelihoods, hope, school fees, and dignity.
To bring them down in the dead of night is inhumane,” he said. Muturi pledged that the UAG will fight for justice, compensation, and accountability for the affected traders.
Musyoka added that the raid represented a blatant disregard for court orders obtained to stop the eviction.
“When a regime treats court orders as optional, no Kenyan is safe. Not traders, not farmers, not anyone trying to make ends meet,” he said.
He affirmed that Gikomba is a lifeline for thousands and that the UAG will ensure justice is served.
The leaders criticized the government’s justification of development as a cover for land grabbing. They emphasized that the market had been legitimately built by traders through hard work to sustain their families, and any covert attempts to seize it would be thwarted. Recovery measures, according to the UAG, will be instituted following the next general elections on August 10, 2027.
During the visit, the leaders called on the traders to remain firm in demanding their rights, assuring them that the UAG is committed to restoring their market and holding those responsible accountable. “Development cannot and must never be built on the tears of ordinary citizens,” Muturi stated.
The UAG team’s intervention highlights growing tensions over urban livelihoods, legal compliance, and political accountability in Kenya. Their collective message to the traders was clear: the Gikomba community is not alone, and efforts to undermine their livelihoods will not go unchallenged.
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