Construction work at Sh120 million Kombani Fresh Produce Wholesale market was temporarily halted on Friday after workers went on strike to demand payment.
The stand-off started around 2pm on Friday, but work resumed the following day after the workers were paid.
Police officers based in Kwale and county officials had a hard time controlling the more than 200 workers who were protesting against their delayed payments.
Some county officials were held hostage and prevented from leaving the site by the workers.
The Kwale government plans to open the facility on December 9.
Construction of the market started in 2018.
Before directly hiring the youth to complete the work at the market, Kwale county had given the tender to a certain construction company. But in August this year, the contract was terminated. The county accused the contractor of doing a shoddy job, among other issues.
The contractor has since moved to court to sue the county government for terminating the contract.
The contractor said the construction work was about 90 per cent completed, and they were expected to hand over the market to the county soon.
On November 17, the company obtained an interim court order from the High Court in Mombasa restraining Kwale county or its staff from re-advertising, re-tendering, subcontracting or interfering with the contract until the matter is determined.
The matter came up on November 29, but the orders were extended to December 6, when the judge will give direction on the issue.
However, according to the contractor, the county defied the court orders and continued with the construction work.
“This is in contempt of court. We have orders to stop the county from doing anything on that site, but they still have workers on site,” the contractor told the Star.
But a senior county official said they are rushing against time to complete the market ahead of the December 9 launch because the market has taken long to open.
“The county has not subcontracted any other company. It directly hired some youth, some of which were from the workforce of the fired contractor to complete the work,” the county official, who sought anonymity, said.
On Friday, Kwale county secretary Martin Mwaro and Tourism and Trade executive Nassib Nyahi declined to talk about the contractor’s allegations.
Nyahi said the matter was in court and therefore he could not talk about the matter.
Mwaro and Nyahi assured the workers that they would be paid by 11am on Saturday.
The project is funded by the European Union. Once complete, the market will be the second largest in the region after Kongowea market in Mombasa.
It will serve more than 6,000 farmers, 1,000 traders and 75 wholesalers.
Edited by A.N
![[PHOTOS] Gachagua interacts with Githurai residents](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.radioafrica.digital%2Fimage%2F2025%2F09%2Ff2cdb5e3-34c1-4081-b3b3-1f0e00d4147e.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
