Ngong traders set to relocate to new Sh800 million market

Traders can now breathe a sigh of relief with the completion of the Sh800 million Ngong market in Kajiado County after a two-year tussle with the county government.

The ultra-modern market with a capacity of 2,300 stalls is financed by World Bank under Nairobi Metropolitan  Services Improvement project.

Its construction was marred by controversies as traders defied being relocated to put up the market over fears they will be shortchanged when the four-storey project on a one-acre piece of land is complete.

Adamant traders who refused to relocate stalled the project for six months protesting relocation to Ngong Stadium. It took the intervention of various stakeholders to convince the traders to relocate. 

The traders relocated on conditions that public service vehicles  be allowed to drop passengers within the market, a promise that was afterwords not fulfilled. 

Temporary shades

Relocation done at a cost of Sh60 million courtesy of the County government irked the traders further, leading to protests that the temporary shades set up for them at the Ngong Stadium were poor and not reflecting the mount spent. 

“The two years at the temporary market was a big lose of time. We moved to the market with a promise that the bus terminus would also be moved to facilitate movement of customers but that did not happen,” said Ann Njeri, trader, adding the market was disorderly and too muddy when it rained. 

She said the market was also messy due to the disproportionate size of stalls, every trader earmarked space for themselves and that saw some take too big spaces compared to others. 

Members of the Maasai community have also been demanding to be allocated at least 70 per cent of the stalls despite originally  not working in the market. Peter Ndung’u, a trader said the allocation of the stalls require sincerity from those mandated to allocate them. 

“Why should someone who was not working in the market want a stall to rent out at the expense of a trader who has been operating in a tough working condition? he posed.

“All we want is transparency and accountability in the entire process since all traders know each other, “ Ndung’u added