Over 2,000 traders will occupy the Kibuye market once it's completed.
The Sh315 million first phase project will be ready by end of this month.
On Tuesday, Kisumu county started constructing phase two of the market at Sh185 million.
When ready, 1,500 traders will benefit.
Governor Anyang' Nyong'o said they had not forgotten the traders and they would fulfil their promise.
“Kibuye is one of the largest open-air markets in Eastern and Central Africa. Its construction to make it an ultra-modern facility had been long overdue,” he said.
The governor said the market will have four ablution blocks, parking space, loading and offloading bay, proper drainage system, storage tanks and walkways with floodlights and street lights.
“It will have a boundary wall which is already completed, with secure entry and exit gates. The market will operate on a 24-hour basis,” he said.
Upon completion, blacksmiths, second-hand clothes sellers, foodstuff sellers and the furniture sector will be settled back in the market.
The governor said the move to facelift the Kibuye market was to have a dignified trading complex with socio-economic amenities and good infrastructure.
For a long time, he said, the market has been operating without a proper demarcation of boundary, lack of trading order.
“The market has suffered frequent fire disasters leaving the traders helpless and impoverished and during the rainy season, the market is inaccessibly leading to huge losses by the traders,” the governor said.
Speaking during the launch of the second phase, Nyong'o thanked the World Bank and France government for helping Kisumu become one of the fastest developing intermediary cities in Africa.
“No country or county will develop and meet people's aspirations without working with the private sector and development partners,” he said.
Nyong'o dismissed claims by some people that Kisumu was depending too much on development partners.
He said the partners have faith in them and they have helped improve service delivery.
“When these people were in power, they failed to court any development partner because of their leadership styles and lop-sided policies. The city lost its glory and had lost the confidence of investors,” the governor said.
Besides Kibuye, Nyong’o said they have built the Uhuru Business park with support from the national government and it's ready for occupation.
The Chichwa market is already in operation with 749 stalls and spaces for traders.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
