Gikoe traders elated as State constructs modern market

Hundreds of traders at Gikoe town in Mathioya subcounty Murang’a are in high hopes as the national government embarks on the construction of a modern market.

The Sh54 million market is earmarked to accommodate 204 traders, a social hall, and an ICT hub, among other amenities.

Works department clerk Johnna Mwita gave more information on the construction of the one-storey modern market.

“Construction of this market commenced in May this year and is expected to be complete by November, currently, the building is 43 per cent complete,” Mwita said.

“The ground floor will host 124 traders and will consist of dry rooms for those who deal with cereals and cold rooms for vegetables, on the same floor there will be a playground for children and a mothers' room for lactation,” he added.

Mwita said the first floor will host 80 traders, an eatery, an ICT hub with a capacity of 20 people, and a social hall that can accommodate 60 people. 

He said the project employs about 25 workers, both skilled and unskilled, on a daily basis who have been sourced locally.

Chairman of the Gikoe Market Naftali Kimani Toro, lauded the government for sponsoring the construction of the modern market.

Kimani said for years local traders have been subjected to myriads of challenges ranging from bad weather conditions to dirty working environments.

“Traders have been working along high-risk roads. During rains, they are forced to use makeshift structures, which cannot adequately protect them from downpours,” Kimani said.

He said once the facility is completed, it will boost the economic activities of the trading centre located along the Murang'a-Kiriaini road.

“With the new market, a lot of people will get jobs, apart from those selling their merchandise, people in the transport sector will also benefit,” Kimani added.

Kimani said the ICT hub will provide opportunities for youth in the area to train on digital skills and provide a platform for those engaged in online jobs.

One of the traders, Mercy Wanjiru, said the lack of modern markets has led them to incur losses during rain seasons.

“Rains usually destroy our merchandise, working on muddy grounds has also affected our businesses as customers shy away from buying vegetables among other produce that are dirty, ” Wanjiru said.

She lauded the government for the project, asking those in charge of the facility to make sure traders who have been working in the town are given priority when allocating stalls to the new building.

“Traders who operate in the current open-air market are well known. We don’t want to see people being brought from other areas to take up stalls leaving the right beneficiaries out,” she said.