• The project entailed, among others, the extension of roof cover and coverage of the entire market space (inclusive of all walkways) with specified paving slabs.
• The traders said as a bare minimum, the refurbished market was to provide adequate and viable space for all the clothes traders.
Image: KURGAT MARINDANY
Traders in Kajiado town want the Senate to probe how the county government spent more than Sh63 million to refurbish the town’s main market.
In a letter addressed to the Clerk of the Senate on Wednesday through Senator Kanar Seki, they claimed what the county did with the money on the market is a shadow of the quality designs that were presented to World Bank.
They showed the Star documents indicating the county government received the money and how it was haphazardly spent.
The letter says that during the 2020/2021 financial year, the county government through the Kajiado Municipal Council’s KCB account (Kajiado Branch), received Sh63,061,154.20 on July 22, 2021, from the World Bank via the State Department of Housing and Urban Development.
They claimed the funds comprised of Sh55,942,124.14 which was the third disbursement for phase one of the Kenya Urban Support Programme and the difference was the outstanding balance for the previous disbursement.
They claimed the funds were meant for the refurbishment and expansion of the municipal market to accommodate clothes vendors.
“It had been mutually agreed between the county and the traders, under a resettlement action plan for the World Bank, that the traders would permanently be settled in the upgraded market within a designated open but roofed area for their business,” the traders told the Senate.
While the traders were waiting for the refurbishment of the market, it was agreed that the municipality would provide a street within the Central Business District for the sale of clothes within the transition period.
They further said that as a bare minimum, the refurbished market was to provide adequate and viable space for all the clothes traders.
It was also supposed to provide a business space that shields traders from rain, dust and sunshine.
“It was supposed to provide a trading space that meets the health and sanitation standards and also provide a one-stop market for all merchandise,” the traders said.
They told Senator Kanar that the pre-conditions were adopted by the county government, the World Bank and the State Department for Urban Development as a condition for approving the 2019/2020 KUSP project expenditure.
In January 2021, the county government advertised on its website a tender notice for the proposed construction of the Kajiado market and other works at Kajiado town (Tender No. CGK/KUSP/ONT/02//2021-2022) under Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) negotiation No. 932676.
The said tender process was undertaken by the county government and the contract was awarded at a contract sum of Sh56,214,411.97.
The project entailed, among others, the extension of roof cover and coverage of the entire market space (inclusive of all walkways) with specified paving slabs to ensure cleanliness, sanitation and a hygienic working environment.
Over 150 new stalls were to be created to accommodate those whose stalls were to give way to open space for clothes vendors.
“We are making the following prayers through our Senator Seki that Senate, through the Committee of Trade and Public Investments, halts any attempts by the county government to force into the market traders until the committee visits the site and the matter is addressed in Senate,” they said.
They said the Senate, through the Committee for Trade and Public Investment, should compel the State Department for Housing and Urban Development to submit its status report on the Kajiado market project.
“The Senate, through the Public Investment Committee, requests the World Bank to equally submit its report on the same in respect to their obligation to carry out a quarterly evaluation on the prudent expenditure of the funds which is a loan to Kenya.
They appealed to the Senate, through the Public Investment Committee to initiate a complete audit of the project to verify the complaints of the traders and prescribe a severe penalty for those who may be found culpable.
“We state that efforts and engagements with the county government on the above issues have not yielded concrete action for which Senate’s attention is now invited,” they said.
Seki said the traders are accusing the county administration of employing victimisation and blackmail in an effort to force them to occupy the market premises when the same has not been constructed according to the agreed specifications.
“Among other prayers, the traders want the Senate to seek a report on the examination of the closing accounts of the market project,” said Seki.
Image: KURGAT MARINDANY.