Agony of traders as Sh12 million market stalls

Part of the Sh12 million Salgaa Market at Salgaa Trading Centre, along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, which has stalled. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Traders have been forced to sell their wares along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway after a new market stalled.

Some of the traders target motorists along the busy road despite the risk of being hit by vehicles at Salgaa, a notorious black-spot along the Northern Corridor.

Others are forced to scramble for space at a local matatu terminus after the county and national governments abandoned the Salgaa Market initiated by former president Mwai Kibaki more than 10 years ago, under the Economic Stimulus Programme.

While officials claim the traders have refused to occupy the new market, the sellers say the facility is incomplete and have vowed not to move in until everything is in order, as per the initial plan.

The traders have called on the county to complete the market so that millions of taxpayers' money that has already been pumped into the project does not go to waste.

A resident, Joshua Cheruiyot, said they don't know why the market is not in use more than 10 years since it was initiated, with fears some private investors are planning to grab the land.

"We hoped to have a modern market that would improve lives of residents by boosting the economy of this area. However, it is not clear why traders have not occupied it. The market has remained idle," he said.

The Standard visited the market and established it has largely been turned into a grazing field. Gates, stalls and a section of the barbed wire around it have also been vandalised.

Windows of offices meant for officials from the county department of trade have been vandalised and electricity cables are hanging even though power is yet to be connected.

Mr Livingstone Sawe, the chairman of the local business community, claimed unnamed individuals were pushing to have the market converted into a school.

He said it was wrong for traders to sell their wares along the highway that has been termed one of the most dangerous in the region.

"As things stand, we do not have a parking lot for the long distance trailers because traders have taken up almost all the space along the road," said Sawe.

A trader, Charles Mwenesi, said the over 300 business people in the area risk their lives everyday due to lack of an alternative market.

Rongai Sub-county administrator Ben Yatich said plans were underway to move traders from the matatu terminus and along the highway to the new market.

"At least Sh3 million was allocated in the 2018/2019 county budget to refurbish the market. The money was to be used to complete stalls, build toilets and repair offices as well as water pipes. It was also meant to redo the drainage system and roads leading to the market," said Yatich.

However, the chief officer in the department of Trade and Cooperatives, Hussein Adan, said despite efforts made to construct the new market, traders were reluctant to move in.

He said the traders have complained that the facility is far from the highway where most of their customers are.

It is approximately 500 metres from the main highway and 400 metres from the local matatu terminus where some of them have been doing business.

Salgaa Market was constructed alongside four others  - Keringet, Free Area, Naivasha and Subukia. Only Naivasha is fully utilised.