• Madaraka market in Makongeni estate was burnt on November 21, 2015 in arson
• Now the county and national governments are feuding over plan to reconstruct it
Image: JOHN KAMAU
Construction of the Sh400 million Madaraka market in Thika is in limbo after a row broke out between Kiambu county and national government officers over who owns the project.
The market was torched by unknown arsonists more than seven years ago.
Officers from county and national governments on Monday traded words in public, with each party claiming ownership of the project.
The national government claims to have allocated Sh400 million in the 2023-24 budget for the market’s construction.
However, the local government insists it has the powers to inject more than Sh200 million into the project, which is hoped to bring to an end to decades of suffering among traders and buyers.
The row broke out during an inspection tour by officers from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a and officers from the local government.
Ng’ang’a took issue with the local government for seeking to duplicate a function that should be handled by the national government.
She said while the county is mandated to oversee operations of markets from which it draws levies, the devolved unit has no financial stamina to put up such a project.
As such, the Kimani Wamatangi-led government should endeavour to construct a low-level market elsewhere, the MP said.
“This project is fully funded by the national government, but there are some people who want to take credit for it,” Ng’ang’a said.
“Let the county government use the money to construct another market in other areas like Kiganjo or Kisii estates.”
While saying there was no bad blood between her and Wamatangi, the MP insisted the project will be funded and constructed by the national government.
The contractor will only seek some technical help from county officers, she said.
The MP said the market will go a long way in boosting the region’s economy as well as generating huge revenue for the devolved government.
“This market serves parts of the Ukambani region, Garissa residents and Kiambu county, with traders from as far as Murang’a and Kirinyaga trading in the market,” she said.
The market that has been a theatre of chaos and business disruptions, which saw the traders’ chairperson Ephantus Njagi publicly tell off county officers, saying the project belongs to the national government.
He took issue with the county officers for sitting in offices to design their mode of operations without seeking their input besides taking them in circles whenever they seek clarifications about the project.
“We have suffered for long enough due to these squabbles,” Njagi said.
“We don’t want this project to be politicised, and that’s why we are pleading with the county government to allow the national government construct this market for us.”
County officers, led by Trade executive Nancy Gichung’wa, tried to convince the traders that the county is ready to inject Sh200 million to the project.
The efforts, however, were met with sharp criticism from traders, who told the county to consider using the money to build another market.
Although the meeting continued, the county officers were forced to flee the area to avoid further confrontations with the charged crowd of traders.
Madaraka market in Makongeni estate was set ablaze on November 21, 2015 in an arson attack that reduced property worth millions of shillings to ashes.
The arson attack left more than 5,000 traders counting huge losses.
Currently, traders operate in a derelict environment as their stalls are made of old worn-out timber with nylon-paper roofs, making it uninhabitable during both rainy and sunny seasons.
The situation, which has been making the traders incur huge losses, is what attracted the government to consider it for upgrade into a modern facility.
The plan was to ensure it includes fencing, construction of drainage and lavatories, lighting, establishment of children-nursing rooms, pavements and good operating structures.
However, a row emerged after officers from the two levels of government claimed they are behind the project.
Other markets set to be constructed in Thika include Gatuanyaga, Ngoliba, Ngoingwa and Kiandutu markets.
Image: JOHN KAMAU