Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim has given a hint that the closed Eldoret Wholesale Market might not be reopening anytime soon.
The market was closed about two weeks ago following the chaos that was witnessed in Eldoret town when a section of traders clashed with county enforcement officers and the police.
Amidst the chaos, criminal elements took advantage of the situation and looted Eldomatt Bakery and some cars were also damaged.
This forced the county to shut down the market, which Deputy Governor Eng. John Barorot said was meant to ‘sanitize’ the town.
When he announced the closure of the market – the biggest in Eldoret town – Eng. Barorot said it would be re-opened after 7 days, but since then it has been over a fortnight.
But while traders have lamented that the market closure had left them with no place to earn a living, begging the county to re-open it, the county boss has indicated that they are nowhere near re-opening.
Culprits of chaos
Speaking at a public event on Sunday, December 4, 2022, Chelilim indicated that the market will only be re-opened after individuals behind the chaos are identified.
“We have decided that the market remains closed until we know who is behind the chaos,” the governor said.
He also revealed that there is already a case before the court, blocking them from re-opening until December 23, 2022.
“That market was for everybody. And there is someone who has gone to court asking that it remains closed. But we must know those sponsoring chaos in our town,” the governor said.
The Eldoret Retail Market has been a source of income for hundreds of traders and suppliers. It is known for selling fresh produce among other goods.
It is barely a year ago that it was re-opened after over a year of closure for renovations that were funded by the county government under Governor Jackson Mandago’s administration.
But according to Chelilim, criminal elements have infiltrated the market, and usually take advantage of his absence from the county to cause chaos.
Last month’s incidents came when the governor was out of the county. At the time, he was in Canada where he signed agreements with several institutions for Uasin Gishu to study in the country.
The first time a similar issue was witnessed was in October when the county boss was in South Korea for the United Cities and Local Governments Congress and the World Summit of Local and Regional Leaders.
