Chaka Market in Nyeri County will be upgraded into an industrial hub to serve not only the county but the entire Mt Kenya region.
Kieni MP Kanini Kega said there will be a third phase which will hold many value addition enterprises.
The third phase, which will mainly consist of agro-processing facility, is expected to cost another Sh1 billion.
Kanini spoke at the market on Friday after accompanying a multi-agency team that jointly visited Chaka market, New KCC in Kiganjo, the national trout farm and Kiganjo trout hatchery on Friday.
Present were principal secretaries for Housing Charles Hinga, Johnson Weru (Trade), and Noor Ismail (Cooperatives), while their fisheries and Industry counterparts were represented.
The market, which was earlier scheduled to have phase one and two before the upgrading, will now see the third phase done.
The first and second phases have cost the taxpayers Sh1 billion while the third phase will cost another Sh1 billion.
Kega said completion and equipping of the facility will cost Sh4 billion.
The first phase of the market was completed in April while the second is anticipated to be done by end of December and officially opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
When complete, the facility will accommodate 2,500 traders.
"Chaka market, done by the national government, was and remains a very good idea. But now we want to convert that good idea into a better idea whereby we shall have value addition. We will have factories here and we will even have agro-processing facilities,” he said.
The market is expected to have an open air market for food traders, clothes traders, matatu and bodaboda terminus, banking halls, a Sacco, cold rooms, eateries and a wellness center among others.
Currently, the market stands on seven acres owned by the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) and will be transferred to the Trade ministry.
Ismail said the cooperative ministry, under which New KCC is, is committed in ensuring that the project is successful.
“Whatever issues that surround the acquisition of the land or if more land is needed will be discussed. We are going to sit down as one government and make sure that any issue that needs further discussions is discussed and resolved so that this project can be realised in the fullness of time within the shortest possible time,” Ismail said.
Weru said the project will give value and income to farmers, saying if the facility is upgraded into a special economic zone, the goods that will be processed there will fall under the international law.
He said the products will be lifted from the facility into the international market following international protocols.
“It is therefore critical for the government, the county government and the local leaders to make sure that the value addition that is going to happen here is for the international market that we are looking for,” he said.
