Kiambu gives traders until Friday to occupy Githurai Market spaces

Kiambu County has directed all market traders in Githurai Phase 1 who were successfully allocated ballots to take up their designated spaces.

It directed the 1,145 traders to take up the spaces numbered A069 –S13C, by Friday, March 14.

The County Government announced that spaces will be re-advertised and re-allocated to those who were absent on the allocation day, with a new date to be confirmed later.

The re-allocation is part of a broader plan to open a new facility, paving the way for Phase II of the market’s construction.

The expansion is intended to accommodate additional traders who could not be allocated space in the current facility.

Officials said the new market will not only provide more opportunities for traders but also help decongest the surrounding market areas, ensuring smoother traffic flow.

The move is expected to stimulate local economic activity and set the stage for further infrastructural improvements.

The Githurai 45 Market comprises of seven major sections including Migingo/Muiguithania, Post Bank, Kwa Nyanya, Jubilee, New Jubilee, Gateway and Pamoja Market.

The Sh400 million market, with a capacity of 1,200 stalls, was officially opened on August 4, 2023, by President William Ruto, just over a year after its completion under former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.

During the launch ceremony, President Ruto urged Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi to address the concerns of traders who had been operating on roadsides for the past four years.

The facility was finally opened after protests from traders, who cited political interference and attempts to manipulate the beneficiaries’ list, and this had sparked security concerns which caused the one-year delay in occupation since its launch.

On October 23, 2023, Wamatangi formed a committee consisting of officials from the State Department of Housing, the Department of Trade, elected market representatives, police and the provincial administration, to look into the matter and ensure they use the original list of allocation.

Two months later, on December 6, 2023, the committee vetted traders at Kiambu National Polytechnic, who later took their designated slots inside the market and were permitted to set up their businesses.

On March 21, 2024, traders were scheduled to move into the market, but the exercise turned chaotic when goons, allegedly accompanied by two MCAs, seized spaces within the market.

The group also occupied an area designated for the second phase, which was intended to accommodate traders who had missed out on the first phase.

On November 6, 2024, over 1,000 traders at Githurai 45 Market occupied their spaces in the modern market.