The construction of a second ultra-modern market in Kitale in Trans Nzoia County has begun.
The ground-breaking ceremony was graced by Trans Nzoia County Governor George Natembeya on Monday.
The project is a fulfilment of a long list of promises the governor made during this year’s election campaigns.
Natembeya asked the contractor to complete the project, funded by the Kenya National Highway Authority (KENHA) in partnership with the county government of Trans Nzoia, within the next two months.
KENHA has pumped in Sh100 million shillings for the facility to be built at the two-and-a-half land donated by the Kenya Railways Corporation.
An additional Sh200 million will be pumped in by the County Government
The facility is part of the second lot of the upgrading of the Multi-National Uganda- Kenya- Kapchorwa- Suam- Kitale and Eldoret Towns Bypass Project.
Governor Natembeya said the market will improve the standards and way of doing business for the traders in Kitale Town and its environs.
He said the Market will be named after heroes who had contributed immensely to the development of the area after public participation.
Traders and only genuine traders, he said, will be given priority once the market is complete in two months.
He warned cartels who were soliciting money from unsuspecting traders in return for trading space.
"If you have given out money thinking you will be allocated space at the incomplete Muliro Ultra modern market you have lost it. Others thinking will hide behind courts should know we will be there too," he said.
He revealed that all dilapidated former National housing corporation houses will be demolished soon to pave way for the construction of affordable units aimed at alleviating the shortage of decent houses in Town.
"The dilapidated houses in Bondeni, Pangani, Soweto and other adjacent areas will be brought down to construct affordable houses to bring decency in the way of living for our people," he said.
The rolling out of the project, he said, will be good news not only to the working elitists but also to other local residents who have been yearning for decent housing.
He vowed to decisively deal with all land grabbers in the county.
The Governor lamented that land grabbing has become rampant in the county and warned that the law will take its course on the culprits.
"When you see me coming with barbed wire to fence government land don’t tell me this is your land," warned Natembeya.
“I am sounding a warning to those who are involved in land grabbing and other forms of illegal land transactions that we will not tolerate that. If you have grabbed any land in Trans Nzoia County, be prepared to surrender it because we will use the law to force you,” the governor said.
The Governor said that the Tom Mboya Hospital will receive Sh200m to upgrade infrastructure to cater for women and children.
He said the completion of the Trans Nzoia Teaching and Referral Hospital will be of great relief.
He rejected calls for the upgrade of the facility to a level 6 hospital saying the County had spent more than Sh1. 3 billion.
Natembeya said the facility will need Sh200 million to be complete.
According to Governor Natembeya, the facility that has taken nine years to set on completion will reclaim health services in the county.