Gov't Opens New Sindo Market to Boost Trade for 400 Traders [Photos]

The government has opened a new modern market in Sindo, Homa Bay County, in a move aimed at improving trading conditions and boosting economic activities for more than 400 traders.

In an update on Monday, November 9, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the developments were transforming Sindo's economic prospects by creating new opportunities for traders and the wider community.

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"Sindo's story is changing. What was once imagined in song as a distant shoreline is becoming a place of opportunity, enterprise and renewed confidence," he wrote.

Omollo said government investments were giving the lakeside town a new identity through improved trading infrastructure, better roads and other interventions targeting the Blue Economy.

"Government investment is giving this lakeside town a new identity through modern trading infrastructure, upgraded town roads and other Blue Economy interventions that are turning its location into an economic advantage," he added.

According to Omollo, the market, which was commissioned by President William Ruto in September 2026, was a central component of the Sindo Economic Stimulus Programme.

He said the completed facility was expected to provide traders with a better environment to conduct their businesses while improving organisation and security within the market.

"Now complete, the two-storey facility provides a clean, organised and secure trading environment for more than 400 traders," he further said.

Omollo said the combined infrastructure investments would strengthen the relationship between the resources available around Lake Victoria and the commercial opportunities available to local communities.

"Complemented by the upgrading of Sindo's town roads, these investments improve access to trading spaces, facilitate the movement of goods and create a more welcoming environment for business. 

"Together, they strengthen the connection between the lake's resources and the commercial opportunities available to fisherfolk, traders and the wider community," he concluded.

Meanwhile, the government has unveiled plans to upgrade a 17-kilometre road in Suba South, Homa Bay County, in a move aimed at transforming the region's image following online jokes comparing its rugged roads to Yemen.

In an update on Sunday, November 8, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the proposed infrastructure improvements would help unlock the economic and tourism potential of the lakeside region, which has faced criticism over the condition of its roads.

"The online joke comparing parts of Suba South to war-torn Yemen, inspired by images of dusty, rugged roads, need not define the region's future," he wrote.

Omollo noted that improved infrastructure would create opportunities for tourism, business and modern settlements, particularly given the area's location along Lake Victoria.

"With deliberate investment in infrastructure, the same lakefront can become a gateway to scenic island tourism, thriving waterfront commerce and modern settlements," he added.

According to Omollo, the project involves upgrading the 17-kilometre Tonga-Kisaku-Osiri Road to bitumen standards through the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA).

"The upgrading of the 17-kilometre Tonga–Kisaku–Osiri Road to bitumen standards by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) is a step towards that transformation, bringing Suba South closer to the connectivity and economic progress Kenya aspires to achieve," he further said.

The road will connect local communities to the Sori-Magunga-Sindo highway and link into the planned Lake Victoria Ring Road network along the Sindo-Nyandiwa section.

The improved road network is expected to ease the movement of agricultural and fishing products while opening up local businesses to wider markets.

"This improved connectivity will strengthen access to fish-landing beaches, trading centres and wider markets, helping fishermen and farmers move fresh produce faster, reduce transport costs and expand commercial opportunities," he concluded.