This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
On July 8, 2019, a tense standoff between stall owners and hawkers at City Market in Nairobi led to a brief disruption of operations.
The dispute, which had been brewing for some time, came to a head when the hawkers claimed that Governor Mike Sonko had allowed them to return to the market.
However, the stall owners were not pleased with the decision and vowed to keep their shops closed until the matter was addressed.
Despite the standoff, trading has now resumed at the market, with all shops reopened and customers streaming in to buy a variety of goods, including fish, beef, chicken, and pork.
"We have decided to open but we are still consulting as a group on what to do next. Our fears are that the issue has been politicised and could lead to anarchy as a result of misrepresentation of facts," said Kamundia Mathenge, owner of Kamundia Butchery.
On the other hand, traders without stalls under the Kenyanam Lake Fish Dealers Association claim they have no issues with their counterparts.
"As you can see they have opened and we are also going on with our business. There is no bad blood between us," said Titus Odhiambo, a former leader of the association.
