3,000 Kitale traders set for relocation as Sh1 billion market nears completion

The new Masinde Muliro market being completed in Kitale town

More than 3,000 traders in Kitale town are set to be relocated to a Sh1 billion modern market whose construction is nearing completion.

The facility, to be known as Masinde Muliro market, is more than 95 per cent complete, with most of the funding having been provided by the Trans Nzoia government.

County secretary Truphosa Amere said the county had reached an agreement with the national government to support the remaining works within the next 30 days.

She said Governor George Natembeya directed the project be finalised within a month so traders can start using it.

Amere said a new contractor had moved to the site to complete the remaining work, and the national government had released an additional Sh56 million to facilitate completion of the project.

She said the county government had so far spent more than Sh800 million on the market.

“This market has been constructed using taxes from the people of Trans Nzoia. It has taken too long to complete, but the governor has decided that enough is enough, and the remaining work must now be finished,” Amere said.

Amere visited the site and said the facility had all the necessary infrastructure to support smooth trade and contribute to the growth of Kitale town.

County deputy director for housing Moses Owuor said they would return to the site after 30 days to hand over the market to traders.

“After 30 days, we will be here to welcome traders into the market and not any other stories,” he said.

Natembeya has visited the market several times to inspect progress and assured traders they would be assisted to settle into the new facility.

Nearly three years after taking office, the governor said the county’s transformation was taking shape, citing the completion of several projects, particularly in the health sector.

These include the Tom Mboya Mother and Child Hospital, which is fully operational and is expected to complement services at the County Referral Hospital.

“Our people deserve quality healthcare within their borders,” Natembeya said.

“With these two hospitals, no mother or child should have to travel to Eldoret or Bungoma for treatment.”

He also expressed satisfaction with progress on the Sh600 million Kitale Stadium, a 20,000-seater facility expected to become a regional sporting hub by the end of the year.