Plans are underway to give Nyahururu open air market a major facelift, Laikipia Governor, Ndiritu Muriithi has said.
Traders at the market who have been complaining of the filthy state of the market are set to breathe a sigh of relief after the governor announced that funds for renovating the market will be factored in the next year’s financial budget.
A spot-check by KNA on Friday revealed that the market is always muddy over the rainy season and has no sheds to shelter traders and their merchandise from the scorching sun during dry weather.
“I understand the agony of traders who have been operating at the open air market, popularly known as tomato market, as they carry on with their daily businesses. We know the kind of huge losses they incur especially at the onset of rains and also during dry weather,” said Muriithi when he interacted with traders at the market.
However, the governor urged the traders to be patient as his administration laid down plans to give the much needed facelift.
“Though we are not going to undertake renovation this financial year, I would like to urge the traders to bear with us as we prepare money and lay down plans for the future. However, I can assure the traders that this will be done the soonest possible,” he added.
The traders who spoke during the visit by the county boss indicated that customers do not enter the market when it was very muddy, but preferred to buy their products from groceries located outside the market.
The governor thanked local traders for continually paying their county dues, adding that the county had acquired a new garbage collection truck for Nyahururu town.
He urged them to continue paying their taxes diligently to enable the devolved unit to initiate development projects in the region.
By James Thuku