According to John Mwangi, a county government official, the attackers were allegedly ferried from other parts of Kiambu, including Kabete, and were acting under the instructions of MP Alice Ng’ang’a. “At least six of our enforcement officers suffered head injuries after being hit by stones. They were bleeding profusely and had to be rushed to hospital,” Mwangi stated. He further alleged that some of the captured assailants confessed to being transported from outside Thika to disrupt the construction
A fierce battle for supremacy between Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi and Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a has escalated into violent confrontations over the control of market construction projects in the county. The dispute, simmering for months, took a dangerous turn last Friday when at least six county enforcement officers were seriously injured in an attack at a market site in Ngoliba, Thika East. The county officers had been deployed to guard the construction site when they were ambushed by a group of stone-throwing individuals, believed to be hired goons. Several county vehicles were also vandalized in the chaos.
According to John Mwangi, a county government official, the attackers were allegedly ferried from other parts of Kiambu, including Kabete, and were acting under the instructions of MP Alice Ng’ang’a. “At least six of our enforcement officers suffered head injuries after being hit by stones. They were bleeding profusely and had to be rushed to hospital,” Mwangi stated. He further alleged that some of the captured assailants confessed to being transported from outside Thika to disrupt the construction.
Mwangi also accused local police officers of siding with the MP and taking instructions from a senior government figure to shield the attackers. “The police are being used to protect those inciting violence, instead of maintaining law and order,” he claimed. He added that residents had helped repel the attackers and vowed to resist further interference.
This latest incident is just one chapter in an ongoing feud between Governor Wamatangi and a group of Kiambu MPs, who have been at loggerheads over control of market projects, an issue that falls under the county government’s jurisdiction. The conflict highlights a growing rift between county leaders and national government politicians, with MPs seemingly keen to exert influence over market development, a responsibility that lies with the county administration.
Tensions previously reached a boiling point in May 2024 in Kiganjo, Thika, when chaos erupted at another market site. In that incident, a young man was allegedly shot dead by an MP as residents attempted to block Alice Ng’ang’a and four of her colleagues, Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu), G. G. Kagombe (Gatundu South), and Njoroge Kururia (Gatundu North), from accessing the site. The MPs had mobilized their supporters to the location, sparking violent clashes. Several people were also injured during a related altercation in Thika’s Kimuchu area, where the local MCA, Peter Mburu, was overseeing stall allocations in another market project.
Despite multiple violent confrontations, the supremacy battle over these projects continues, raising fears of further unrest as both sides refuse to back down.
