Mosiria calls out Githurai traders after chaos sparked by overnight demolitions
By Charles Ouma, February 19, 2026Nairobi County Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement and Customer Service Geoffrey Mosiria has called out traders in Githurai after chaos rocked the area following demolitions that left traders counting their losses.
He questioned why traders in Githurai prefer to erect structures by the roadside when there is a modern market constructed for them in the area.
Mosiria noted that the market remains empty, several years after completion, with traders opting to erect illegal structures by the roadside.
“This big market in Githurai still remains empty years after completion; traders refused to occupy it and instead built illegal structures by the roadside,” Mosiria stated on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
Acknowledging that the market, which is located in Kiambu, is outside his jurisdiction, Mosiria sought to know why the traders are shunning the designated market where they should be earning a living in dignity.
“Mbona hawatakangi kuuzia kwa Hii Soko? Nipe maoni (though hapo ni kiambu County),” he asked.
This loosely translates to: “Why don’t they want to sell their wares in this market that is in Kiambu County?”
Chaos in Githurai
Chaos rocked the area on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, evening as traders barricaded the busy Thika Superhighway, paralysing traffic for hours as they protested a planned demolition of their business premises slated for the same day.
The demolition, according to traders, is being undertaken to pave the way for the construction of a bus park by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).
Despite the protests, the area was flattened overnight, with all illegal structures brought down under the watchful eye of heavily armed police officers.
The demolitions affected more than 1600 traders who claimed that they had occupied the land in question for years and now have nowhere to sell their wares.
Gachagua slams gov’t over demolitions
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua condemned the demolitions, claiming that it was done in an inhumane way with no regard for the welfare of those affected.
“It is both senseless and inhuman for this regime to orchestrate extreme brutality and cowardice by deploying hundreds of police officers in the dead of night to destroy the property of traders in Githurai and to terrorise innocent citizens. Such actions are a grave affront to human dignity and reflect a regime that has lost all sense of compassion and justice.
“Shame on this regime for its misplaced priorities and blatant disregard for human life and dignity,” he added.