The contractor awarded the tender to put up a Ksh 294 million Karandine Market in Dagoretti, Nairobi County was last Friday given 14 days ultimatum to complete the without further delay.
The Nairobi County Development Implementation Coordination Committee (CDICC) gave the notice after it emerged that the World Bank funded project was behind schedule.
CDICC Chair who is also the Nairobi County Commissioner Flora Mworoa ordered the Diwafa Investment Limited to leave the site by the 12th of next month and handover the facility to the government.
Works on the two storey building with 204 stalls and a parking area commenced on 8th February, 2018 and was expected to be complete by 20th September 2019. The Market will be occupied by general merchants.
The County Commissioner who was on an inspection tour of the market with other committee members who included the Secretary of the Committee Mr. Kinoti Gatobu from the President’s Delivery Unit said the government is concerned that the project has taken too long, whereas the initial traders who were relocated were waiting to occupy them.
“The government does not owe you a cent, therefore you have no excuse not to deliver, be serious with the work, as I believe in action not threats,” said the County Commissioner.
She told the contractor not to compromise on the standards that were set warning that the government will not condone shoddy works.
Speaking at the site, the Director of Administration from the Directorate of Urban and Metropolitan Development, Mr. Mabeya Mogaka, said the contractor was expected to leave the site on 29th January but the State Department for Housing who are undertaking the project extended to 14th February.
Mr. Mogaka said Westlands , Karandine, Kikuyu, Ruiru and Juja markets all funded by the government are expected to be handed over to traders in mid-February to enable them conduct their trade in a conducive environment.
He said if Karandine contractor had completed the project as scheduled it would have been officially opened and handed over to the traders on 6th January this year.
Mogaka said the government and World Bank is ready to pay the contractor for whatever the project needs when they raise the certificate for payment, as long as they do not go overboard.
“The money paid to the contractor for Karandine market should not be diverted into other projects but should be used on this project,” cautioned Mogaka, and urged contractors to redeem their images by completing projects at the stipulated time.
The milestones that the contractor is expected to achieve before 12th February include putting cabros, fixing tiles, completing a perimeter wall and grills, fixing roll shutters, windows, roof and ramps.
The representatives of the traders who are temporarily operating at the City Askari’s Directorate in Dagoretti eagerly awaiting to occupy the market appealed to the government to drill for them a borehole at the new market since water from the County government is unreliable.
“We want the government to do for us something that will help us and our children in future. We thank the government for providing us with this market,” said the traders.
Besides the Karandine market, the government is also constructing a 2km road known as Ngong Road Market Project to address the challenge of some traders from Dagoretti who were operating along Ngong road to pave way for the construction of the road.
The traders who were relocated a few metres from the road at Jam Park appealed to the government to construct for them an access road to enable their customers access the area. The works also includes construction of toilets for the traders and their customers.
By Bernadette Khaduli
