President William Ruto speaks at the Kisumu State Lodge on September 14, 2026./SCREENGRAB
President William Ruto says trade could offer a lasting answer to cattle rustling, with a new market in Sondu set to bring nearly 1,000 traders from communities in Kisumu, Kisii and Kericho under one roof.
Ruto said the facility would provide residents with a shared economic space where they can trade their produce and build livelihoods instead of engaging in destructive activities.
Speaking during a media engagement at Kisumu State Lodge on Monday, Ruto said procurement for the Sondo market had been completed after an earlier dispute over its location was resolved.
“For the market in Sondu, we are already procuring. Initially there was a problem of where to put the market, but finally that was settled between the different entities there,” he said.
He said the government had opted to conduct the procurement through the Electronic Government Procurement (EGP) system, a process that took time because it is fully electronic.
“But now we have completed the procurement. You will now have a market in Sondu,” Ruto said.
The President said the facility would serve as a shared economic resource for communities from Kisumu, Kisii and Kericho, given Sondu’s position as a trading centre connecting the three counties.
He said the government was deliberately investing in markets and other economic infrastructure as part of a broader strategy to address insecurity by giving citizens opportunities to earn livelihoods through legitimate businesses.
Ruto acknowledged that cattle rustling remained a problem in some parts of the country, describing it as an unfortunate practice that should no longer be part of Kenya’s society more than six decades after independence.
“Sixty years after independence, we shouldn’t be having those kinds of things. But unfortunately, they are still part of our life,” he said.
He said the government would continue dealing with cattle rustling and other security challenges but argued that security interventions alone would not solve the problem.
“Part of solving that problem is to create meaningful economic activity in all our parts,” Ruto said.
He said the Sondu market would give residents a structured place to sell agricultural produce and engage in other forms of trade, creating an alternative to conflict and other negative activities.
“Part of the reason why we are putting up that market is so that it becomes a shared resource,” he said.
Ruto said he hoped the investment would encourage communities to move towards more organised and productive engagement in trade and business.
He said the market was expected to accommodate almost 1,000 traders, creating a significant economic hub for the surrounding communities.
The President also disclosed that the government was undertaking 20 markets across Kisumu County, including a major market in Kisumu town whose construction he said would cost Sh1.5 billion.
He described the Kisumu town facility as one of the largest markets in the region.
Ruto said the investments were intended to strengthen local economies by providing traders with better facilities while creating opportunities for communities to interact through commerce.
He expressed optimism that the Sondo market would strengthen relations among communities from Kisumu, Kisii and Kericho by giving them a common economic platform.
“It’s my hope that Sondu being a shared town by all the communities there, from Kisii, from Kericho, and from Kisumu, we can be able to have a much more robust engagement that is positive,” he said.
