Stay calm as the county government sorts out your problem

Mutithi MCA Jennaro Njaamumo addressing the media after  an extensive tour of the badly congested Kagio market which is due for a massive expansion by the Kirinyaga County Government

Stay calm as the county government sorts out your problem  members of Kirinyaga County Assembly have asked traders in Kagio Market to remain calm as the County Government finalizes plans to expand their market.

The MCAs said Governor Anne Waiguru’s administration was at an  advanced stage of negotiation to buy off a parcel of land next to the market for the intended  expansion.

A section of the Kirinyaga County Assembly members touring Kagio market which is due for a massive expansion by the county government

Speaking when they toured the facility to listen to grievances from the traders, the

leaders also said those selling their wares outside the market will be relocated back

once proper plans were  put in place.

Led by Deputy Speaker Jinaro Njamumo and Majority Leader Daniel Kibinga, the civic leaders asked local politicians to stop inciting the traders

Njamumo who is the Mutithi ward MCA accused  a senior local politician  of seeking cheap publicity by inciting the traders against MCAs.

Njamumo asked  the said ;politician  to concentrate on his constitutional  role  and stop meddling into the County Government development affairs.

“When we bring politics into development, the people who suffer are the traders.

Each of us as elected leaders should stick to our roles and constitutional mandates . Whoever is claiming that they have allocated money specifically to Kirinyaga should come and show us where the money is. We are the current elected leaders and this politician  should let us do our work without inciting the traders  against us .These petty politics should end immediately,”  Njamumo said.

The Deputy Speaker said the County Assembly was fully behind Governor Waiguru’s administration and will continue to support her to implement all her development agendas.

“We have listened to your grievances and the trade committee at the Assembly will have a sitting to discuss and come up with a way forward,” Njamumo he told the traders at the market .

 Waiguru had asked the traders to return back to the market as plans to

expand the  facility  continued. She said the department of Lands had set aside a budget for purchase of land for expansion of the market so as to accommodate traders who were currently selling their wares at the parking lots within  the town.

“I have asked the CECM in charge of lands to allocate a budget for purchase of the land adjacent to the market and to engage the owner for a possible buyout,”  the Governor said.

On his part, Kibinga asked leaders to stop politicking and instead work to deliver on their promises to the people.

“We have realized there is political incitement on traders but want to promise that as a

County Assembly together with the Executive, we will prioritize expansion of Kagio market so as to address all grievances raised by the business community,” said Kibinga.

His sentiments were echoed by area MCA Geoffrey Murimi who said that relocation of traders from the parking lots back to the market will be done in an orderly manner so as to ensure no business was   hurt.

 He asked traders to continue honoring their obligations to pay trading fees so as to enable the County Government get the necessary revenue to deliver on its promises.

“We are saying, as the County Government plans to expand the market, traders already in the existing facility should work with the County Government to see how those displaying their fresh produce at the parking lots also get space inside the market,” Murimi  said.

He said the County Government has not increased trading levies and therefore they should ignore such claims.

On their part, the traders agreed to go back to the market as they await the county

government to expand the market.

One of the traders Mary Nyawira said  her colleagues  selling at the parking lot were  ready to go back to the market and asked the county to do afresh re-allocation of trading spaces.