Vihiga county: The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) of Commerce, Tourism and Cooperatives, Joseph Lunani, on Monday led in the groundbreaking of the construction of the Chavakali Marikiti Market in Vihiga County. The strategic market will be a three-storey building which will accommodate 750 stalls and there will be about 375 external sellers and about 6000 buyers on normal days.
According to Kenya News Agency, the building will include amenities such as a garbage receptacle, powerhouse, backup generator, civil works, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) installation, and a solarised borehole. The total area to be covered will be 7,735 square metres, with the total period for completion of the project expected to be 12 months, with an estimated amount of Sh272,192,000 to be spent on the project.
Lunani stated that the construction would be under Lilaaf Construction Company Limited, with Mohammed Bishar as the head contractor. He mentioned that the ground floor would have an open-air market with traders selling vegetables and fruits and also an additional space within the building where lactating mothers could breastfeed their children.
‘Initially, the plan was to construct nine markets in Vihiga County, but through talks with President William Ruto, Governor Wilber Otichilo, and other Vihiga leaders, the Chavakali market was added, raising the number to 10 markets, making it the last to be opened for construction,’ said Lunani. He identified sourcing for land for the construction of the market as a significant challenge that delayed the groundbreaking of the project.
A trader at Chavakali Marikiti market, Grillian Akoya, expressed satisfaction with the construction of the new modern market. Akoya emphasized the need for the current traders to be prioritized once the market is complete and also wished for a safer relocation during construction. ‘Some traders are against the building of the strategic market because it being a storey building would make the movement of goods in and out of the building hard and tiresome,’ said Akoya.
The head contractor, Mohammed Bishar, assured that there would be lifts and stairs for ease and convenience of transporting goods. He added that due to high insecurity levels, the modern market would be fenced all around and lighting installed for visibility and security. The commencement of construction of the market began today (Tuesday) with affected traders being relocated.
