The shame, stench that is city’s Muthurwa market
Bernard Gitau @benagitau
The stark irony of Nairobi residents, whose governor is a bling king, buying food and wares from a filthy Muthurwa Market stares you in the face as you approach the facility.
Stench from uncollected garbage and filthy toilets, human traffic, noise from blaring speakers playing music and traders hakwing their wares welcomes you to Muthurwa.
The once city-in-the-sun has sank considerably to become a city sinking under its own garbage.
Muthurwa, which sits on more than 15 acres of land, hosts traders and vendors who operate various businesses, ranging from foodstuff, clothes, electrical appliances and motor vehicle spare parts. It also acts as terminus for all public service vehicles from Eastlands.
Its construction was touted as a panacea to hawking and human traffic congestion in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
And so the government embarked on the Sh700 million project which culminated in its opening to the public in 2007 by former President Mwai Kibaki.
However, 13 years later, the ambitious project is sinking in mounds of garbage and disorder with traders raising concern over their health.
A spot check by People Daily revealed the dilapidated nature of the market that hosts over 10,000 traders and serves thousands of customers.
Traders are up in arms saying they fear an outbreak of cholera and other water-borne diseases due to inaction of the County government.
“We are on our own. The County government seems only interested in collecting taxes and do little to deliver services,” said Mary Wanjiru a trader at the market. 
She says open sewers, poor drainage and uncollected garbage are challenges they have been facing for a long time and their grievances seem to fall on deaf ears.
Daniel Oyugi, a cart puller, says their health is at risk but they have to bear with the situation as they need to eke out a living.
“The situation is bad and the risks of contracting diseases is not lost to us but what can we do and we have bills to pay?” he asked.
They traders only plea is that the county government restores sanity in the market by ensuring a conducive environment for them to do business.
