Small-scale traders in Tharaka Nithi are beaming with hope as Chogoria ESP Market nears completion, opening new socioeconomic opportunities for the region
A key pillar of President William Ruto’s Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and his promise to provide small-scale traders, vegetable and fruit vendors commonly called Mama Mboga with a dignified working environment.
Led by Lawrence Kirimi, who sells fast-moving household goods, plastics and utensils, the traders further said that the new market is going to cushion them from losses since they will no longer be operating in the open.
The main market also has supporting facilities such as the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) hub and internet infrastructure to boost e-commerce, ablution blocks, social hall, hotel, sanitation and waste management and modern and secure vendor stalls.
“I have been doing this job for fifteen years and we are very grateful to President Ruto for building a market for us here because we have been experiencing many challenges. For instance my goods were at one time swept away by water,” said Kirimi.
“It was raining and then all my merchandise was swept away with the water. We are very grateful because we didn’t even have land to build the market here but our President intervened until we found a space to build a market for us,” he said.
“Very soon, we are moving in ,” he said, heaping praise on President Ruto for honouring his 2022 election pledge.
According to him, President Ruto’s pledge to transition the country from a third-world to a first-world was steadily becoming a reality citing infrastructure development such as modern markets, Affordable Housing Program (AHP) and roads.
“This is a very big market, it is bustling with activity and there is even space where mothers can breastfeed their children. Children will be there, playing, there is a cold room where perishable goods will be stored so that it does not go bad,” he stated.
He said that the new market is going to propel Chogoria to new heights. “I believe that the country is moving to the first-world as the President said, we are going to Singapore,” he continued.
“We President Ruto for remembering our region. We also want to thank Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who is by the way our son because this is his home county, for championing our interests and for the support he is giving the President,” he added.
At the same time, some of the women traders (Mama Mboga) have taken it upon themselves to inspect the project to ensure there are no delays. Led by Vieterina Bundi, 70, the women said they are eagerly waiting for the market to be opened.
“I have worked in the open market my whole life and I never thought we would ever get such a big market because many presidents have come and gone but we now have it through the leadership of President Ruto,” she said.
“There are many challenges (operating in the open) but whatever has a beginning as the end and the end of our problems is near,” she said, adding: “We are very happy,” it is like a barren woman finally getting a baby, that is how we feel,” she pointed out.
She said: “We will have everything inside this market. I am always here with my colleagues monitoring the progress and everybody knows me here, they don’t stop; they always give us access.”
