Progress of Ongoing Construction of Malaba Strategic Market [Photos]

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has given an update on the construction of the Malaba Strategic Market in Busia County. 

In a statement on Sunday, September 27, PS Omollo said the facility is the largest of 14 modern Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) markets being established across Busia. 

He highlighted that the market is expected to strengthen Malaba's role as a regional trading hub.

“The Malaba County Strategic Market sits at the epicenter of bilateral plans to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) through the Kisumu–Malaba and Eldoret–Malaba corridors, providing traders with better capacity to aggregate, store and move wholesale commodities across the East African Community (EAC) hinterland. 

“As the largest of 14 modern ESP markets being established across Busia County, the facility is positioned to strengthen Malaba's role as a regional trading hub,” said PS Omollo. 

According to the Interior PS, the multi-level market will provide 1,000 purpose-built stalls, offering traders, youth and women a more secure and organized trading environment. 

Once completed, the market will feature cold storage, an ICT hub, SACCO offices, lactating rooms, central kitchens and modern sanitation amenities to support a 24-hour economy.

Further, PS Omollo said the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration is supporting coordination and security arrangements around the facility.

“This will complement wider efforts to strengthen border management and create a secure environment for seamless cross-border trade,” he concluded. 

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

In a statement on Friday, September 18, PS Omollo 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,” said PS Omollo.