Runyenjes traders have called on the national government to hasten completion of a Sh180 million modern market, saying the facility will ease congestion and provide a better trading environment for businesses.
The traders said the new two-storey facility would address challenges they have faced at the old market, including inadequate space, poor sanitation and limited amenities.
Runyenjes Market Traders Association chairperson Justus Kamau said completion of the project would give traders more space to operate while creating opportunities for farmers who have struggled to find adequate space to sell their produce.
“We are happy with the construction of the new market because, once it is completed, traders will have a better place to conduct their businesses. We are only asking the government to speed up the project so that we can enjoy the facilities,” Kamau said.
The market, which sits on an acre of land, is expected to accommodate about 800 traders.
It will provide space for businesses that had been pushed onto streets and other congested areas because of limited stalls at the old facility.
Kamau said the old market had been overwhelmed by the growing number of traders and farmers from the surrounding areas, forcing some businesses to operate under difficult conditions.
He said the new facility will also create opportunities for farmers from Runyenjes and neighbouring constituencies to sell bananas, cassava, maize and other agricultural produce in a more organised environment.
The chairperson, however, raised concern over an inadequate water supply, saying a borehole being developed by the county government is yet to be completed.
He said the water shortage has affected sanitation, particularly the use and maintenance of toilets at the market, and urged the county administration to expedite completion of the borehole.
The new market is expected to have a range of facilities aimed at improving the working environment for traders and attracting more businesses to the town.
Project engineer Wilson Kimathi said construction was 40 per cent complete, with the remaining works expected to be finished before the facility is handed over to the county government in January 2027.
“We have about 60 per cent of the work remaining, and we are targeting January 3, 2027, for handover. The project has also created jobs for about 100 people, including certified workers and trainees,” Kimathi said.
The engineer said the facility will include an ICT hub, cold rooms, a health facility, washrooms, lactation rooms and a childcare facility, among other amenities.
“The lactation and childcare facilities are expected to benefit traders with young children by providing a safe environment where mothers can breastfeed and conduct their businesses without worrying about their children,” he said.
Trader Nancy Muthoni said the new facility will give traders adequate and well-organised spaces, unlike the old market where businesses operated in cramped conditions.
She said the availability of individual stalls and other amenities will improve the working environment while allowing more traders from rural areas to join the market.
Muthoni added that the facility will also create space for traders to store their goods and provide better services to customers.
The modern market is expected to serve as a commercial hub for Runyenjes and the neighbouring constituencies of Mbeere North and Manyatta, as well as Chuka-Igambang’ombe in Tharaka Nithi county.
Its completion is expected to restore order in Runyenjes town by moving traders from streets and poorly organised spaces into a purpose-built facility with adequate amenities.
