Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka.
Bungoma Governor
Kenneth Lusaka has officially launched the construction of the Sh343 million Chwele
Strategic Market project expected to serve more than 1,000 traders.
Lusaka termed the
project as a transformative initiative set to modernize trade and boost the
region's economy, especially small-scale traders and the local community.
Located strategically
near the Uganda border, Chwele is Kenya’s second-largest market after Karatina,
with an impressive annual turnover exceeding Sh15 billion.
“It will serve traders
and people from many areas including Uganda and it’s also a strategic
investment for the entire East African region,” said Lusaka.
The state-of-the-art
facility will feature a wide range of amenities, including modern stalls, cold
storage rooms, a conference room, an ICT hub, a mother’s room, revenue offices,
a washing area, and designated loading and offloading zones.
“It’s designed to have
all that is required for trade to flow smoothly,” said Lusaka.
Speaking during the
groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday Governor Lusaka highlighted the market’s
pivotal role in propelling Chwele’s economic growth and solidifying its status
as a regional trade hub.
“This project will not
only enhance local commerce but also position Chwele as a key economic
powerhouse in the region. It will attract investors, spur development, and
significantly improve livelihoods in Bungoma County,” the Governor stated.
The new market
infrastructure is expected to further help improve service delivery,
streamline trade, and foster regional economic integration.
It’s set for
completion within 18 months.
The market is a
critical component of Bungoma County’s broader development agenda and Lusaka
said it is aimed at boosting local businesses and enhancing cross-border trade.
The county boss said
the project underscores the county government’s commitment to sustainable
development and empowering communities through strategic investments in modern
infrastructure.
“It’s also a project
well aligned with the government’s bottom-up economic policy because most
beneficiaries will be the small-scale traders who week to uplift economically,”
said Lusaka.
He said his administration was committed to ensuring the completion of all economic transformation projects he has initiated in the county
