Homa Bay residents to start benefiting from Sh452.8m markets

Principal Secretary in the State Department for Housing and Urban Development Charles Hinga with government officers during a tour of Oyugis market in Kasipul constituency, Homa Bay County. [James Omoro, Standard]

Residents of Homa Bay County will start using two newly constructed modern markets worth Sh452.8 million in December.

Homa Bay Market cost Sh117.8 million, and Oyugis was built at Sh335 million.

Homa Bay Market has a capacity of 2,000 traders, and Oyugis can cater for 1,300 traders.

The construction of the markets is almost complete.

“The construction is satisfactory, and we are going to open the markets in December,” Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga said when he toured the markets.

Hinga said the government would distribute the stalls to traders at the beginning of December.

“The process of distribution will be done without any bias. Let traders know that there will be a transparent criterion of distributing the stalls,” he said.

The PS said the projects would improve the status of urban centres and municipalities across the country. This is intended to ensure that citizens operate in a dignified environment.

“The aim is boost livelihood of our people by enabling them to conduct businesses efficiently. The efficiency can only be achieved in a clean environment,” said Hinga.

Hinga said his office is in talks with the Ministry of Information and Communications to establish a communication centre with free internet at Oyugis market to facilitate the communication of urban dwellers in the county.

The two markets were funded by the World Bank in collaboration with the national government.

IT infrastructure will be established after the launch in December.

Hinga is touring various government projects in Nyanza and Rift Valley.