Market traders in Kitengela, Kajiado County are set to move to the newly completed Kitengela market next week. The market, built in two phases, cost a total of Sh150 million.
According to Leah Marias, the County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Investments and Enterprise Development the market which was fully funded by the Kajiado County government will be commissioned on 4th April 2025 by Governor Joseph Lenku.
Speaking during an information sharing baraza in Kitengela, Marias noted that the county wishes to have everyone within the market but those that have been approved by the market committee will be allocated the slots first.
“Our market capacity is already full and the list provided by the market committees is what we will use to allocate slots. Though there are many traders in the market space, we will ensure that every one of you is taken care of,” she said.
She revealed that there are nine sectors for traders in the market and all of them have been allocated slots depending on their categories.
“We really appreciate your economic activities as they build Kajiado economy and the Kenyan economy at large. We will continue doing our best to ensure you have suitable places to carry out your businesses,” she said.
Area Member of County Assembly, Paul Matuyia, thanked the market traders for maintaining peace even as they wait to be moved to the new market.
While assuring that the slots will be given out according to the official list of traders, the MCA warned county staff who are selling slots to members of the public that they will be prosecuted for corruption.
He also warned those inciting the public to cause chaos and urged the traders to maintain peace until the whole process is complete.
“The chaos we witnessed in the town in 2019, when we were relocating traders for the market construction, led the World Bank to shift its focus from building the market here to constructing one in Ngong. Let us maintain peace so that we can secure other development programs,” he said.
Matuyia added that the traders will pay their rates to the county government according to what is stipulated in the county’s finance bill.
Kitengela Municipal Chairman Julius Ntayia urged traders to maintain peace and cleanliness at the market adding that as a municipality, they plan to have proper planning so as to ease traffic buildup, which is becoming the norm in the town.
The market trader’s chairperson, Racheal Supeet, thanked the county for constructing the market for them saying that the place they had been relocated to was far from the town causing them to incur losses as most people preferred buying their products from the hawkers.
Paul Kuria, a hawker in Kitengela, urged the county to consider allocating them slots if any are available, expressing frustration over the frequent harassment by county askaris when they sell their products outside the market.
For the past six years, traders have been forced to sell at a makeshift market next to the Kitengela bus terminus.
By Diana Meneto
