Kiambu's Waruhiu Aggregation Park Hits 95% Completion [Photos]

The Waruhiu County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) in Githunguri, Kiambu County, has reached 95% completion.

In a statement on Monday, September 21, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the 10-acre facility is located at the Waruhiu Agricultural Training Centre Farm in Ngewa Ward and is being jointly financed by the National and County Governments on a 50:50 basis.

"Through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), the National Government is committed to serving Kenyans indiscriminately, with a deliberate focus on creating opportunities for farmers and small-scale traders," the statement read.

The ministry said the facility is designed to bring infrastructure, markets and value addition services closer to agricultural producers in the region.

The park will feature several facilities intended to improve the handling and processing of horticultural produce after it is harvested.

"It comprises eight warehouses, two cold-storage units, two aggregation centres and four value-addition units, providing modern facilities for the handling, storage, processing and packaging of fruits, vegetables and other horticultural produce," the statement added.

The ministry said the facility is strategically positioned to serve farmers across several constituencies and sub-counties in Kiambu County, creating a central point for aggregation and value addition.

"Strategically positioned to serve producers across Githunguri, Gatundu North and South, Kiambu, Kiambaa, Limuru and Lari, the park will help farmers move beyond selling raw, perishable produce to accessing organised markets and higher-value opportunities," the statement further read.

The government expects the aggregation park to address some of the challenges faced by farmers, including post-harvest losses, limited market access and dependence on middlemen.

"By reducing post-harvest losses, cutting reliance on exploitative brokers and expanding value addition, it will raise household incomes, create jobs and strengthen pathways to regional and international markets," the statement noted.

This comes days after Omollo issued an update on the ongoing construction of the Kitengela Modern Market in Kajiado County. 

In a statement on Friday, September 18, he said the market is being developed as a 24-hour retail facility. 

According to the Interior PS, the Kitengela modern market will accommodate up to 2500 traders once completed. 

He noted that the project is funded by the national government through the State Department for Housing and Urban Planning and is intended to provide organized trading spaces for local businesses.

"As the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) marks four years of implementation, the Kitengela Modern Market demonstrates this approach in action, providing the infrastructure needed to turn informal trade into a more productive and structured local economy.

"Funded by the National Government through the State Department for Housing and Urban Planning, the market is designed as a 24-hour retail facility accommodating up to 2,500 traders," he said. 

Omollo mentioned that priority in the allocation of trading spaces will be given to grassroots small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), informal traders, women and youth.

"Priority allocation is reserved for grassroots SMEs, informal traders, women and youth, offering an opportunity for hundreds of vendors," he stated. 

Further, Imollo said the facility is being built to national standards and will feature nursing rooms and crèches, cold storage facilities for perishable goods, clean water facilities and a digital ICT hub to support electronic payments and modern commerce.