Construction of the proposed Ksh 700 million Embu Modern Market is set to commence in earnest after close to six months’ wait after the groundbreaking by President Willam Ruto in May.
The delay, according to Deputy Governor Kinyua Mugo was occasioned by the relocation of hundreds of traders in occupation to a temporary site to pave way for the construction set to take two years.
Speaking while handing over the site to the contractor, the Deputy Governor said the new market consisting of one block with three floors will have the capacity to hold approximately 3, 000 traders.
The market will also be fitted with elevators for traders, buyers and goods as well as other amenities such as lactation rooms for breastfeeding mothers and day care facilities for young children to allow parents to work according to the DG.
He called on the contractor to ensure locals are given employment opportunities especially for the unskilled labor so that they can also earn a living.
“We have asked the contractor to give our unemployed youth’s first priority as the project gets underway,” he said.
Denis Ongata, the representative of the contractor Pinnie Agency Limited, pledged to complete the works within the given timeline and also offer jobs to the locals both skilled and manual.
The market is among six others that are being done across the county aimed at creating a conducive working environment for thousands of traders as well as a ready market for farmers’ produce.
The six markets are those that started in 2007 under the Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) but stalled.
This is in addition to the proposed industrial park cum aggregation center to be put up at Machang’a Agricultural Mechanization (AMS) center in Mbeere South Sub-county at a cost of Ksh 500 million in a joint partnership between the national and the County government.
BY KBC NEWS