The construction works for Soko Mjinga Market in Lari, spearheaded by Lari Constituency Member of Parliament Joseph Mburu Kahangara, is in progress.
Located along the Nakuru-Nairobi Road, the market serves over 4,000 farmers who trade there daily.
The primary items traded are locally grown farm produce, which is sold to local residents, and the surplus produce is transported to neighbouring urban centres, with a significant portion reaching the capital city of Nairobi for sale.
The assembly of formwork for the first-floor slab, beams, and staircase ramp are currently ongoing.
Concrete casting of these elements will follow. The substructure, including the foundation, columns, and beams, is already complete, and the ground floor slab has been cast along with the ground floor columns.
“We are committed to seeing this market functional to benefit farmers who trade in the market daily,” Joseph Mburu has said.
The MP who was inspecting its progress noted that once completed, the market would be enclosed with a perimeter wall and fitted with gates to secure the farmers’ produce.
The foundation stone for the construction of Soko Mjinga Market was laid by President Dr. William Ruto, earlier this year.
During the laying of the foundation stone, President Ruto indicated that the construction of modern fresh produce markets across Kenya will create a conducive environment for traders and minimise post-harvest losses.
“We will also extend affordable financing to farmers for them to produce more. The ultimate goal is to expand opportunities and enhance earnings that will spur our growth,” said the president.
The general public had previously raised concerns about the health and hygiene conditions of the market, and with the ongoing upgrades, significant improvements in health standards and overall cleanliness are anticipated.
The safety of the produce is guaranteed as a police station has already been built near the market.
“We are very pleased with the many development projects in our constituency. We commend our MP for ensuring that no community is left behind in terms of development,” Damaris Nyamuhu, a resident of Lari Constituency, said.
By John Kariba
