Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko has said that market development and access are the surest way to open up opportunities to local traders at the county level.
Dr Ochilo, who spoke on Wednesday during the launch of the refurbished Kakrao market in Suna East Sub County urged the local residents to utilise the facility in order to give the county a reason to redevelop it further.
The Kakrao market was a flagship project by former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, initiated in 2018, but remained non-operational due to a lack of social amenities like an ablution block, water, and electricity.
The market has a significant reference to the local residents who used it for cattle trade; a barter trade mode of business where its roots can be traced way back to 1944.
After independence, the market was placed under the municipalities of Kisii, and South Nyanza before it was handed to Migori Municipality during the devolution era.
The once vibrant market that served the colonialists and the locals collapsed in the 70s and never regained its lost glory.
Other markets like Uriri and Stella along the Kisii-Migori road have in recent years mushroomed denying the Kakrao market any hopes of roaring back to life.
However, with the refurbishment of the market stalls, the ablution block, and the market offices, the market is giving hope to local residents.
Ochilo who also opened up a cattle market promised to refurbish stalled markets across the county to help the local traders have decent working environment in order to improve the living standards of the locals.
The area residents through the Kakrao Market Management Committee however urged the municipal management to erect flood lights to enable the traders to sell their produce late in the night.
The residents also urged the county to set up a slaughterhouse to utilise the cattle market business to boost the value addition of the meat product.
Kakrao market has been proposed as the best alternative place to relocate the Migori bus terminal by both the Migori Municipality Management Taskforce and Kakrao market management committee in an effort to decongest Migori town.
By Geoffrey Makokha
