State hands over 80pc complete market to county

The national government has handed over an incomplete Soko Posta Market to the Busia county government.

The national government has handed over an incomplete Soko Posta Market to the Busia county government.

Secretary for State Department of Housing and Urban development Enosh Onyango said the project was 80 per cent complete and Sh50 million had already been spent on it.

He challenged the devolved unit to quickly complete the market.

“The market started before devolution came into being and it was the only that was yet to be handed over to the county,” said Mr Onyango.

Besides Soko Posta, eight other markets were constructed by the national government in Port Victoria, Sio Port, Funyula, Mundika, Mau Mau, Nambale, Amukura and Muruka.

The administration of Governor Sospeter Ojaamong has been torn between completing the Sh75 million Soko Posta market and relocating traders to the site.

Construction of the market was one of former President Mwai Kibaki’s flagship projects under the Economic Stimulus Programme.

Judith Maketho, the County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Cooperative and Industrialisation, acknowledged that there had been public outcry due to delayed completion of the market.

She observed that her department would have to source for funds to complete the market for the sake of traders.

According to Ms Maketho, money will be factored in the supplementary budget to help complete Soko Posta so that the county starts collecting revenue from traders.

“We are committed to ensuring that the market is completed before the end of current financial year. There has been public outcry that the market has taken too long to be finished,” said Maketho.

Traders at the main market have been pushing the county government to complete the renovations and have even threatened not to pay taxes.

Former County Director of Trade Vincent Asikoye had said earlier that the national Government was to complete the project before handing it over to the county.

However, Maketho said the county would complete the market after it was handed over to her department.