The muddy conditions at the Dagoretti slaughterhouse near the area market will soon end.
The government is to tarmac a 3km road around both facilities. Urban Development PS Charles Hinga on Wednesday said the project will ensure stagnant wastewaters are drained to promote hygiene.
Hinga said the project will cost Sh250 million and improve working conditions at the market and the slaughterhouse.
"The work will have to involve street lighting, drainage, tarmacking of that road as well as improving parking to eradicate traffic jam," he said at the market. He was accompanied by Kiambu Governor James Nyoro at the launch of the project.
Nyoro said the project will be completed in six months. He thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta for allocating funds to improve the status of the old Dagoretti market and the abattoir.
Traders had raised concerns that the market and the slaughterhouse were on the verge of closure by public health officials because of stagnant water and congestion whenever it rained.
John Kimemia said public health officials had threatened to close the market, but traders stood firm asking the government to improve its infrastructure.
“There was a time health officials came and asked us to close it down, but we asked them to repair and improve the status of the market. We had a lengthy discussion and they had to go,” Kimemia said.
"One sees flies, stagnant greenish water, uncollected garbage while workers from the slaughterhouse were clean and businesses in and around the market were clean and well-kept."
Customers had also complained that despite traders keeping their businesses clean, the roads and drains were full of garbage that made the condition pathetic.
