Tension gripped Gikomba market as traders vehemently rejected a new government relocation plan that expands the buffer zone from the Nairobi River to 50 metres, up from the previously agreed 30 metres.

• Traders are protesting the expanded 50-metre boundary, fearing land grab and loss of livelihoods, having initially agreed to a 30-metre zone.
• Key stakeholders include the Nairobi County Government, led by Governor Johnson Sakaja, and sections of the Gikomba traders.
• The government asserts the extra land is for a new market construction and that all within the 50-metre riparian zone must move by the end of March to prevent floods and allow river restoration.