Police lobbed teargas into a dense crowd near the Kagio–Sagana junction on Friday, and traders say the fallout has now hit county revenue.
Stalls remained half-closed along the busy market strip on Saturday morning as angry traders openly refused to pay daily levies, blaming the chaos that followed the teargas incident during Rigathi Gachagua’s visit.
Many said business was disrupted for hours after customers fled, goods were knocked over, and transport stalled along the junction.
They argue that demanding taxes days after such losses is unfair.
“We lost money that day, and now they want us to pay like nothing happened,” said a vegetable seller who operates near the Kagio bus stage.
County askaris were seen moving from stall to stall, but several traders waved them away, insisting they would not comply until their concerns are addressed.
Some traders claimed they were still repairing damaged kiosks and replacing spoiled produce from the day of the chaos.
Others accused local leaders of going silent after the teargas, only resurfacing when revenue collection resumed.
“Let them first explain why teargas was thrown among wananchi, then we talk about taxes,” a boda boda rider shouted as a small crowd gathered.
The refusal quickly spread from food vendors to clothing sellers and mobile money operators operating along the Kagio–Kerugoya road.
A group of traders held a brief roadside meeting, agreeing to act as one to avoid individual penalties.
They warned that paying quietly would weaken their collective stand.
One trader asked a question many around him echoed: “If serikali can disrupt biashara, why rush to collect pesa?”
By late afternoon, tension was still high, with some traders saying they would keep their stalls shut if enforcement continues.
County officials had not issued a public response by the time of publishing.
Residents now say the next move from authorities will decide whether Kagio returns to business as usual or slips into a longer standoff.
