Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alice Wahome. Photo credit | KNA
Traders in Kasarani and Starehe areas will soon have new places to do business. The government has started building two big markets in Nairobi — Maji Mazuri and South B, which will be finished in a year.
The project will cost Sh750 million and will provide space for 2,000 traders daily, with an extra 1,000 on special market days.
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Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in South B, Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alice Wahome said the contractors have taken over the sites, each measuring one acre. She explained that this project is part of the government’s plan to help small businesses grow.
“Provision of secure trading space for the over 2,000 traders is a key plank of the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA),” she said.
She added that the government is working with Jua Kali artisans and other groups to build the market stalls, ensuring that local craftsmen also benefit from the project.
The construction work will create jobs for 800 people. Local Jua Kali workers will also get technical help and financial support, which will improve their chances of winning big contracts in the future.
Once completed, Maji Mazuri Market will have space for 1,000 traders every day, and up to 1,500 on special market days. South B Market will have room for 900 daily traders and 1,500 on market days.
The new markets in Nairobi will sell fresh farm produce, fish, beef, clothes, and household goods. This will not only help traders but also bring more money to the County, allowing it to improve services for residents.
This is part of a larger plan to modernize and expand markets, with the government planning to build 400 markets across the country in key trading areas.
