Traders in Malaba Municipality in Busia County are set to benefit from a multimillion-dollar integrated modern market to be constructed at the Amagoro Trading Centre.
This comes after Amagoro ACC Titus Kiptoo handed over the site of the Sh50 million-worth modern market to the contactor, which is under the Market Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), a multi-million-dollar project initiative being undertaken jointly by the National and County Governments.
The market intends to open up trade links due to its proximity to the border and ongoing advocacy for the region’s economic growth, targeting small-scale traders in line with the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise economic pillar.
The 60m by 20m triangular market will have an ultra-modern single floor each, with 200 stalls to accommodate a similar number of traders. The ground floor will mainly consist of smart stalls to provide display space, storage, and security for their wares, cold rooms, and administrative offices.
The first floor will accommodate a revenue office, ICT hub, social hall, food court, and an ATM lobby. An offsite ablution block accommodating ladies, gents, and PWDs will be provided as part of the facility.
The market will equally have unique facilities such as cold rooms for preserving fresh products, with sanitation and water supply taken care of by a 5,000-litre UPVC roof tank and a 30, 000-litre steel tank fully equipped with booster pumps.
Assistant County Commissioner Amagoro Titus Kiptoo assured residents that the contractor, James Muriuki of Contralink Contractors, had given an assurance that he would employ people from the area instead of outsourcing them.
Kiptoo urged the residents of Teso to embrace agribusiness for the sustainability of the market and avoid overdependence on importations from Uganda.
“As the government strives to complete this market in record time, let us embrace agribusiness and utilise the market for our own economic empowerment,” advised ACC Kiptoo.
The ACC urged the market committee to give priority to traders currently operating stalls along the busy Malaba-Eldoret highway.
The sentiment was echoed by acting Teso North Sub County Administrator Silas Juma, who noted that the first recipients of the stalls once the contractor handed over the market to the government would be those who were already doing business.
Malaba Municipality Board Member Ishmael Orodi, who was the brain behind the purchase of the land for the market in 2010 when he was councillor for Teso North County Council, said he was not regretting the move he made as it was now bearing fruit for area residents.
The residents, led by Simon Oruchum, thanked Orodi for purchasing the land, urging the government to allocate a specific market day for Amagoro. He also urged residents of Teso North to support leaders, especially MP Oku Kaunya.
By Absalom Namwalo
