City traders to wait longer to occupy new Wakulima Market

Traders set to occupy the newly constructed Sh800 million new Wakulima Market along Kangundo Road will have to wait longer to occupy it.

This comes after a multi-agency team has been set up to ensure the criteria used in the allocation of space is done fairly and with transparency.

Nairobi County Executive for Trade Winnie Gathangu on Monday revealed that the team will consist of the National and County Governments, Nairobi Metropolitan Services and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority.

“The stakeholders are already in place and working on allocation logistics to ensure fair allocation,” she said.

Gathangu also noted that the traders who were displaced when the Outering road was being constructed will be given first priority.

Acting County Secretary of Nairobi Jairus Musumba assured that the allocation process will be free from political interference.

He also pledged technical support to all national government projects in the City County.

Musumba assured that security will take charge of the market after complaints were raised of insecurity around the market.

Mowlem MCA Benson Mwangi noted that his ward had become a development hub of Nairobi with a modern market and a fire station.

 "The construction of the market facility targeted to accommodate the affected roadside traders and achieve the broader objectives of enhancing social benefits and improving the business environment in Nairobi,” he said.

The officials had conducted a site visit at the market where the Deputy County Commissioner, Director subcounty Administration Joel Muli, Embakasi West subcounty Administrator Janet Kimeu, facility contractors and other stakeholders were present.

The new Wakulima Market is located in Mowlem ward, Embakasi West subcounty. It is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Construction of the market started in July 2017.

The market is estimated to accommodate more than 4,000 traders and will help decongest county markets and increase access to quality, affordable and sustainable food.

The market has two floors with 158 stalls,12 shops,36 shutters on the ground floor, additional shutters with the provision of more on the first floor.

It also has abolition and shower blocks on each floor as well as external washroom, four water storage tanks with capacity big 10,000 litres and two  900,000 litres underground water tanks.

In 2018, City Hall had urged Nairobi traders to report impostors asking them to pay for market space.

Concerns had been raised that city residents are being blackmailed into giving money to have market spaces reserved for them.

Last month President Uhuru Kenyatta warned Nairobi politicians against inciting traders to illegally occupy the five new city markets built for Sh2.2 billion. 

The markets include The Sh389 million Mwariro market in Starehe, Sh214 Westlands, Sh493 Gikomba, Sh294 Karandini in Dagoretti and the Sh800 million new Wakulima.

Uhuru said that traders who had previously occupied the markets will be given first priority once he commissions them.

“Soon I will come here and open Mwariro and other markets but I don’t want to see any incitement on who will occupy these markets. We want to have a fair process to ensure that everyone will have equal opportunity to occupy the stores,” he said.

Uhuru said once the original traders have occupied their market stores, the rest will be distributed through an open ballot supervised by government officials.

Last year in August, the government began balloting for four out of the five modern markets and is yet to announce how space has been allocated