Ministry to lose millions in Nyandarua abandoned markets

The abandoned Oleriondo market in Nyandarua County. PHOTO | WAIKWA MAINA

Along the Ol Kalou-Gilgil road in Nyandarua County stands an abandoned and neglected modern market structure worth Sh42 million.

Oleriondo Horticultural Roadside Market, is among some other similar projects constructed to promote agribusiness in Nyandarua County at a cost of more than Sh100 million.

Others are Ndaragua open-air market which cost Sh24 million to build,  Murungaru processing plant at a which cost Sh40 million and Soko Mpya in Kinangop constituency constructed at a similar amount.

The projects were fully funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad) through the Ministry of Agriculture.

WASTE

While Ndaragwa market is over 90 per cent complete, all others are 100 per cent complete, but running into a waste.  

Oleriondo, located at Karunga village a short distance from Nyandarua-Nakuru boundary is complete with 47 shops, cold rooms, value addition chambers, market offices, water storage tank, modern toilet facilities including for disabled both male and female, spacious security office with an extension of a spacious open-air market.

The abandoned Oleriondo market in Nyandarua County. PHOTO | WAIKWA MAINA

Inside, the shops are complete and installed with display shelves, drying and sorting chambers.

It is also connected to electricity with security lights installed around the building.

The entire market structure sits on a two-acre piece of land bought by defunct Ol Kalou town council, which provided the land while the donor community contributed the funds under the Small Holder Horticultural Market Program (Shomap).

DASHED HOPE

The projects brought with them a lot of hope to local traders, farmers and neighbour communities that saw diverse of investment opportunities.

At Karunga, Lukas Muraya who neighbours the Oleriondo market says after the construction began around 2011, residents subdivided their land into plots selling a 100 by 50 plot at Sh600, 000, against the then price of an acre piece of land that sold at Sh250, 000.

The abandoned Oleriondo market in Nyandarua County. PHOTO | WAIKWA MAINA

“We are told that opening of the market was delayed due to lack of piped water. This is a dry area and we saw a lot of potential in the new market. But the building is now running into waste. We appeal to Governor Francis Kimemia to intervene and have the market opened,” said Mr Muraya, a former Nakuru Municipal Council employee.

He says most of the land buyers were impressed and encouraged by the modern building structure, but none of them has developed the plots as they wait for the market to be open.

The abandoned Oleriondo market in Nyandarua County. PHOTO | WAIKWA MAINA

The county department of trade says it is in the process of actualising proper utility of the markets and value addition plants in the county.

“The structures were last December handed over to the county government by the Ministry of Agriculture. Our executive member Muthoni Wamuya has severally lead interdepartmental heads to assess and discuss how to open the market,” said the trade department chief officer Daniel Muguku.

DEVOLUTION

He said the transition to devolution affected the opening of the market since they were all under the national government.

He added “we thank the resident communities for discipline, the whole thing would have been vandalised in other areas because the structures do not have security. It was a group of farmers  and traders who sold their produce at the roadside did a proposal to Ifad, the main objective was to help address the issue of marketing of agricultural produce.”

He said governor Kimemia has taken the projects as a major concern and has contacted relevant national government ministries and departments including the Kenya National Highway Roads Authority seeking logistical and technical support to operationalise the markets.

“We assure the members of the public that the county government is working had to reverse the situation. Under the governors RRI program and steps taken so far, we are optimistic the Oleriondo market will be opened in about 100 days,” said Mr Muguku.