Nyamira revives dilapidated markets to increase revenue

The Nyamira government has started constructing new markets and maintaining and opening nonfunctional ones to increase revenue.

Officials say revenue collected from markets had dropped because of poor maintenance.

Failure to construct, maintain and clean the markets by the county government was cited as the major cause of the drop in revenue collection.

Traders in various markets in Nyamira want the county government to explain why the markets are filthy even after the county government set aside funds for regular cleanups, maintenance and construction of new ones.

On Wednesday, the county started renovating and constructing markets across the county.

Trade CEC Stephen Onwong’a said the initiative is one of the ways to ensure sufficient revenue for development.

“We are starting the process of constructing markets and renovating the ones that are in bad condition across the county. This is one way of ensuring we secure revenue from our small traders so that we can do more for them in terms of development,” Onwong’a said.

Traders have protested about the filthy markets, particularly those who own food joints.

In his speech during the launch, Governor Amos Nyaribo said the county government is committed to improving the livelihoods of its residents. He said agriculture and trade are among the sectors that need to be exploited as they will lead to increased income for residents.

“The county government, through the Department of Trade, Tourism and Cooperative Development, is mandated to provide an environment conducive to trade to be conducted, which will ultimately achieve the objective of economic empowerment of residents," Nyaribo stated in a speech read by Onwong’a.

"To achieve this, the county government has started the process of constructing market stalls, market sheds, cleaning and fencing all the markets across the county.”

Traders in the various markets like Ikonge, Kebirigo, Nyabite, Nyamaiya, Mosobeti and Miruka had threatened not to pay taxes to the county government because they still operate in poor conditions that may endanger their lives.

"We had developed the fear of contracting diseases because of the poor state of the markets, but since the county government has started the exercise of constructing and renovating our markets to the required standards, we are at least assured of our safety as traders,” said one of the traders in the newly opened Kemera Roche market on Wednesday.

The traders said the county government should ensure the markets are well lit so that they can work until late hours.

Edited by Henry Makori