Traders in Kamachege market in Imenti South, Meru county, have decried the poor state of the facility.
They say the market has been abandoned by county government over the years.
It is the second largest banana market in the county after Ntharene, located in the same subcounty.
“The place is so dusty, which affects our day-to-day operations. We are asking Governor Kawira Mwangaza to roof and renovate it, so that we can carry out our business activities well,” Morris Kiogora, a trader at the market said.
Kiogora said trading activities are usually hampered during rainy seasons as they are forced to close down.
The traders are further urging the Meru government to expand the Nkubu-Kiigene road to avoid traffic snarl-ups at the marketplace during market days, since it is located along the highway.
The streetlights at the market are also not functional, limiting the number of hours that the traders carry out their operations.
“Loading bananas into trucks has become difficult in the dark since we fear that snakes might bite us. We are therefore asking the county government to replace the light in the middle of the market with a functional one," Kiogora said.
The traders further said for the last ten years, which the market has been operational, they have never had water, posing a great health risk to the traders.
“There is no water at the market and the toilet too is not in a condition to be used since it is dilapidated,” Alice Kanyua, a trader in the market said.
They said if clean water and toilets were constructed at the market, they would collaborate with the Meru government to ensure the facilities are well taken care of.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)