County plans five-storey market building in Gikomba

Traders salvage what remained of their goods at Gikomba, Nairobi, Monday, July 02, 2018, after fire razed the market. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

Summary

• The proposed market building will have 525 stalls spread across the five floors, two lifts, back-up generators, a cold room refrigerator, fire-fighting equipment, and sewer system and surveillance cameras.
• Construction is expected to start in October after the county government settles on the contractor
• City Hall has not reveal financial details of the building whose construction is scheduled to be complete in October next year.

The Nairobi County government plans to construct a five-storey market at Gikomba, boosting traders who have for years lacked modern stalls.

The proposed market building will have 525 stalls spread across the five floors, two lifts, back-up generators, a cold room refrigerator, fire-fighting equipment, and sewer system and surveillance cameras.

Construction is expected to start in October after the county government settles on the contractor who will be announced after the tendering process set for mid next month.

“The Nairobi City County government will work together with the State Department of Housing, Urban Development and Public Works to ensure the building complies with all the safety and environment regulations,” Governor Mike Sonko said on Friday.

No financial details

City Hall did not reveal financial details of the building whose construction is scheduled to be complete in October next year.

The move will be a boost for the country’s biggest market that has had its fair share of troubles in recent years.

The market has experienced fires that remain unresolved to date, overcrowded space and land ownership disputes.

Last month, at least 15 people died and property worth millions of shillings razed in a fire whose cause is yet to be identified.

There have been allegations that the fire incidents have been motivated by land ownership battles between the traders, tenants of county houses and suspected land grabbers.

The market is next to the heavily polluted Nairobi River that poses a huge health hazard to traders and visitors to the popular market.

Defy warnings

Traders have also defied warnings by the National Environment Management Authority to move their stalls from the riparian area around the river.

Gikomba is the largest market in East Africa, covering about 20 hectares of land in downtown Nairobi.

It is the biggest market for second-hand clothes in the country, hosting at least 10,000 traders who come from as far as Democratic Republic of Congo cash in on the millions of shillings transacted in the market daily.