Kisumu County Government has announced sweeping reforms aimed at restoring sanity, law, and order at the troubled Kibuye Market, following weeks of tension and trader complaints.
Speaking on Wednesday at the office of the Kisumu County Woman Representative, County CECM for Trade, Tourism, Industry and Marketing, Farida Salim, said the county has drafted two key pieces of legislation, the Trade and Market Policy 2025 and the County Market Management Bill, designed to resolve longstanding governance and operational challenges at the market.
Salim said the county cannot continue operating in an environment where the rule of law is sidelined and disorder is normalized, insisting that no business can thrive under such conditions.
“As a county government, there is no vacuum in leadership. The way forward is to enact laws that cure these problems you have heard about. We now have the Trade and Market Policy 2025 and a County Market Management Bill ready for public engagement,” she said.
She noted that one of the biggest failures in the past was the lack of proper coordination between the city management, the county government, and the trade department. The new framework establishes a County Marketing Coordination Committee, chaired by the Trade CECM, to unify all market management stakeholders.
“There has been a missing link between the city management and the trade department. This law cures that through a broader coordination committee bringing together the city manager, market management chairpersons, enforcement teams, and all key stakeholders,” she noted.
Salim added that the City Management Board would no longer operate in isolation. Once the bill is approved by the public and passed by the County Assembly, the board will be required to work closely with the Department of Trade to ensure no key market issues fall through the cracks. The reforms will also restructure and expand market management committees to improve service delivery across Kibuye.
The reforms come as the county moves to end alleged monopoly, intimidation, and violent confrontations within Kibuye Market. This follows recent complaints from traders, including accusations of assault and threats against them by longtime market chairperson Judith Matengo, popularly known as Nyaramba, who was arrested and remanded at Kodiaga Women’s Prison over assault allegations.
Traders have since demanded that the county appoint an interim chairperson, arguing that Nyaramba’s term expired long ago and that the leadership vacuum has contributed to chaos within the market.
