Putting the record clear.
For
those who have forgotten, the market had been abandoned for 10 years. Traders
were relocated to a temporally private plot which always became muddy, had no
toilets, was bushy, insecure and traders were forced to clear all their stocks
every evening. Despite the plot having no structure, not even a fence, it was
rented at 50,000sh a month. What everyone expected to be a temporary measure
turned out to be the worst corruption scandal in the history of our Ward which
economically killed Karuri shopping center and the livelihoods of thousands of
people as days turned into months and months into years.
I promised I will do
whatever it takes to get our market back when I get elected. I started lobbying
immediately I took office. For one and a half years, I used the authority of
the county assembly to request statements, table motions and summoning
executive members. I brought delegations of assembly committees to see
firsthand the suffering the traders were going through. I wrote letters to all
relevant departments and even published a pamphlet on Karuri Market and
distributed copies to offices at the county and national government. The only
reply I got from all these efforts was funds were not available.
During
the process of making the 2014/15 budget, I vigorously lobbied fellow MCAs so
we put some money for markets. Amazingly, when the appropriations were released
I discovered that the executive had prioritized Limuru, Githunguri and
Kikuyu markets. I knew my efforts had
not made impact and I had to change tact.
That’s when I decided to involve the community in agitating
for our market. On 9th October 2014, I convened a meeting of market traders and
community members where I updated them and called on them to join me in the
fight for Karuri market. They all agreed.
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| Traders and customers on the muddy grounds |
After
the meeting I wrote to the executive and gave them a ultimatum of 3 months to
build our market or I mobilize the traders to reoccupy the market as it was. I
knew many of them do not take letters seriously and I therefore booked a
session on Kameme Radio on 24th November 2014 where I told the world the
history, the suffering and the 3 months ultimatum we have given the government
ending 9th January 2015.
I started organizing
strategy meetings with the Market committee led by their Chairman Mr Mbuthia as
we waited for whichever government response. We held 6 weekly closed door
meetings at my office and kept our deliberations top secret as the deadline
neared. In the process, I discovered that some selfish tycoons in Banana were wanted
the market to remain where it was. I knew it won't be easy but I prayed for
Gods guidance.
When
we started the last month to the deadline,
I wrote my last communication to all the relevant departments and warned
them that after 9th January 2015 the neglected people of Karuri will take up
their constitutional rights to civil disobedience, return to their market and
start building one for themselves. One week to the deadline, together with the
very cooperative committee we announced a big meeting to take place at the
Banana market on Monday 6th January.
We
held the meeting and announced we were going back to our land on monday12th the
following week. As we expected that info spread like bushfire. They realized
they had underestimated the resolve of the market traders. Calls started
streaming in. The first one was from a senior department head, "As a good
friend Martin, I want to warn you that you are trending on very dangerous
grounds.
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| The Stalled remains of the intended upgrade. |
The matter of Karuri market is in court and what you are doing is Sub-judice."
I told the officer not to worry because I got a lawyer who is taking care of
that and I hang up. Others called to warn me that am inciting people and I will
get arrested. But one caller from the Sub-county was extremely rude and
arrogant calling me many unprintable names.
I
vowed not to be distracted. My mind was on a different type of challenge.
Relocating people from one business area to a
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| Construction of the new Market begins. |
nother can generate serious
conflicts or fights. I had to be extremely careful and wary of all the enemies
against the relocation. On Tuesday 7th January I hired some guys to clear the
bushes in the abandoned Karuri market. On Wednesday with the help of the market
committee we spent the whole day subdividing and marking all spaces enough for
every trader. All this time my informers at Thika headquarters and Kiambaa
sub-county offices were briefing me on how the government was planning to
counter our moves. They knew we were set to relocate on monday12th as we
announced at the last meeting. I knew I had to keep some of my plans closely
guarded even from the committee we were working with because at a time like
this you don’t trust anybody.
On Thursday I got
information that all security chiefs were held up in daylong meetings at
Kiambaa Sub-county offices to prepare to counter our planned exodus. According
to insider friends, I was accused of inciting the people against their
government with the intention to embarrassing the leaders. The security bosses
resolve to deploy riot police to surround Karuri market starting much earlier
on Saturday and block anyone attempting to gain entry into the market. If we
attempted to use force to gain entry we would be countered with force and that
is where my arrest would have taken place. In my heart I knew all these market
mothers had voted for me out of sheer love and trust and there is no way I
could have exposed them to harm from riot police or our enemies. I had to be
meticulous in my plans.
At
5.00pm on Thursday after every office have been closed, I called the market
committee to a very urgent meeting and that is when I laid my secret cards on
the table. I told them we were not going to relocate on Monday but today. It
was a market day and I wanted the committee to mobilize the traders so I can
address them. I had already prepared how people will relocate using ballot
numbers which were to be distributed today.
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| Traders happy in the new Market. |
We
rushed to the market before it could get dark and I addressed all the traders
from the top of my car. I told them that this was their last day in Banana and “everybody must uproot their stands either today or
very early tomorrow morning”. I told them I have made
special ballot papers for each to pick one at random and then go straight to
where the number has been marked at the Karuri Market. There should be no
complains of corruption, favoritism or discrimination because everybody will
pick a number inside a closed black paper bag. I will never forget to thank God
for this day, because, by noon the
following day Friday, all structures at
banana had been demolished and everybody was busy putting new ones at Karuri.
And then a miracle happened. After the structures at banana were all removed,
in the afternoon, the owner of the plot fenced it off blocking the gate using
iron sheets to signify that nobody is allowed to go back there. And I knew God
was with us.
On
Saturday morning, when the riot police were to cordon off Karuri market, they
were shocked to find the market was full of structures. They rushed to banana and
were further shocked to find the plot empty and fenced off. They took their
phones and briefed their bosses on the situation. They were told to go back to
base and leave us alone. One local boss called me and said, "hapo
umetucheza". I just laughed.
The government had to eat
humble pie and they started plans of putting up a market. The governor ordered
emergency funds to be mobilized from various votes and within 3 months, tenders
for the market were floated. I had become an enemy to many in government. But
what mattered to me was that, the suffering of my people were over, the shops
at Karuri have sprung back to life after 10 yrs, and many people have gotten
back their livelihoods.
That is why I didn’t feel offended a few days ago on Thursday 9th march
2017 when the traders held a prayer day for Karuri Market, and the market
committee gave out Certificates of appreciation to over 10 people, those who
contributed to the return of Karuri .market and my name was not among them. Ironically,
I was the only political leader who honored the invitation to the prayer meeting.
However, the most worthy certificate comes from God.
Mind
you, the Markets that were prioritized of Limuru and Githunguri have not
started to date.
Apart
from Karuri market, there are some 2 other milestone achievements I have made
for my people out of strictly personal initiatives. But they are so
controversial and can be politically explosive because I took up other leaders
responsibilities. What matters is that my people are benefiting. They don’t have to know who did it. But I will write about it
in my memoirs later. Look out for my score card. Coming out soon.
It is a major component in my planned youth / community economic empowerment strategy.
