The long-awaited Sh120 million Kombani Fresh Produce Wholesale Market was on Thursday officially opened in Kwale.
The market was launched by the Devolution Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter, Land CAS Gideon Mung'aro, Governor Salim Mvurya and EU ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger.
The Kombani market will be the second largest after the Kongowea market in Mombasa.
The modern market has hotels, butcheries, closed and spacious open-air market stalls, parking lots and offices to run the facility operations.
It is expected to ease traders from the burden of trekking long distances in search of commodities for commercial trade and domestic use.
Speaking during the launch, Keter termed the project as the key component in the transformation of the county's economy.
Keter said the market will help improve the socio-economic activities and the residents' lives.
“This is a turning point because you won't need Kongowea hence many of you will benefit from this market,” he said.
The Kombani market is strategically located to tap customers from Tanzania, Kinango and Mombasa.
The CS told residents to make good use of the facility to change their lives.
He commended the project saying the work done commensurate with the amount of money used.
“This project should serve as an example to other counties who squander the public funds,” he said.
Keter urged the county to digitalise the market in future and embrace online services for everyone to benefit.
He said the project portrays the true nature of the benefits and power of devolution.
The Kombani market was funded by the EU in partnership with Kwale government.
Its construction was officially launched in 2019 by the former Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa.
Geiger said the market will not only grow the area economically but provide employment opportunities and prosperity for the entire Kwale community.
“This project provides broad opportunities for your families and the region to grow and prosper,“ she said.
“Utilise the facility to serve the intended purpose.”
She said the EU intends to see communities be empowered socioeconomically and become successful.
Geiger said the EU supported the devolution policy of the government and will help Kenyan citizens achieve equal development.
Mvurya and his deputy Fatuma Achani said the project was a historic and milestone achievement.
They said the county will continue to improve the facility and mobilise more resources to ensure the market function to its full capacity.
Mvurya said his administration has put enough mechanisms for the market to completely benefit the locals.
He said the county in partnership with the national government has worked in hand to improve road networks and agricultural activities which will promote businesses.
“We have done medium-sized dams that can irrigate between 50 and150 acres of land. It provides a ready market for the products that can easily be transported through improved roads,” he said.
He said the county was ready for massive investment because it has the appropriate infrastructure to run the business activities.
However, its opening was met with a lot of resistance as the former contractor who was sacked by the county government blocked people from accessing the facility.
The county terminated the contractors' work for allegations of doing shoddy work and abandoning the site halfway.
The contractor is said to have obtained the court order to stop any kind of activities at the site with the county not backing up as it rushed to complete the market and vowed to hold the event for its opening.
The contractor said the county illegal sub-contracted the project to another contractor.
During the launch, police officers were in the market to convince the contractor to allow the activity from proceeding but to no avail.
The contractor had all the legal documents.
Apart from police officers, the contractor had hired legal private security who had put on black T-shirts and trousers manning the facility at the main entrance and around the perimeter walls stopping anyone from gaining access.
The county officials who had woken up early to prepare for the grand event were among the locals locked out.
The event scheduled to start at 9 am was delayed until 2 pm after hours of consultations between the county government and the contractor with the county security team being the mediator.
However, the contractor refused to talk to the media immediately after the standoff was called off.
Last week over 200 Kombani market workers protested against delayed payment by the county.
The workers had held some county officials hostage and denied vacating the facility.
At the launch, Mvurya said the county has no payment disputes with anyone saying it has fully paid the contractor and workers.
“What we had in the morning was something different and we have no debts with any contractor,” he said.
Achani said the Mvurya's administration is transparent and none corrupted.
She said no funds were embezzled.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris