The National Government’s Chesinende Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) Modern Market in Kipkelion East Sub-County, Kericho County, has reached 90 per cent completion, with the facility set to improve trading conditions and boost economic activity for about 5,000 people in the area.
The modern market has facilities including a hotel, ICT room, pre-feeding center, cold storage facility, and a borehole, which is at the final stage of completion and is expected to provide clean water to traders and neighbouring communities.
According to Kipkelion East Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Mohamoud Ibrahim Hassan, the project will provide traders with a safer and more organised trading environment while improving access to markets for agricultural produce and creating opportunities for young people.
Hassan said the ICT room will enable young people to access information and services, while the cold storage facility will help traders preserve fresh and perishable produce, adding that landscaping works are currently ongoing as the project nears completion.
“More than 200 traders will have an opportunity to secure stalls in the modern market, where they will be protected from rain, sun, and strong winds, while their products will be better protected and customers will have a more comfortable environment to shop,” said Hassan.
Chairman of Chesinende Farmers’ Cooperative Society, Joseph Choge, said the modern market would provide better trading conditions, particularly for women who had struggled to operate their businesses in difficult environments.
“So far, so good. We are very grateful to the government for building this market for us. The women who run the businesses here have struggled a lot,” said Choge.
Choge, however, raised concern over inadequate parking space, noting that the market occupies about half an acre. He appealed to the national government to consider acquiring additional land to provide adequate parking for traders and customers.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture has supported 50 women traders along the Nakuru-Kericho highway with stalls known as Mama Shops, providing them with safer and more organised spaces to sell fresh produce and other goods.
The Mama Shops are well-branded, attractive, and spacious, with each beneficiary allocated an individual stall that provides enough room to display and sell her produce.
The shops are located a safe distance from the busy highway, allowing traders to benefit from passing customers while reducing their exposure to risks associated with roadside trading.
The initiative has provided the women with sheltered trading spaces where they can operate in a safer environment and protect their produce from harsh weather conditions.
Jennifer Chebkorir, a Mama Shop beneficiary, welcomed the government support, saying the initiative had provided women with an opportunity to conduct their businesses in a safer and more suitable environment.
“We thank the government for helping us. We have had a lot of difficulties, and sometimes women are the ones who suffer,” said Chebkorir.
The Mama Shops will complement the Chesinende ESP Modern Market by providing additional opportunities for small-scale traders and improving access to fresh agricultural produce for residents, motorists, and other customers using the Nakuru-Kericho highway.
By Kibe Mburu
