400 traders find new trading space at Field Marshal Muthoni Market in Nyeri

The market is about 97 per cent physically complete and is expected to provide additional space for traders, including those to be relocated from the area’s bus terminal.

The facility comprises market stalls and supporting amenities, including cold stores, an ICT hub, an ablution block, a waste collection area and parking spaces. It also has social halls, a children’s play area and a breastfeeding facility.

Beyond providing trading space, the construction has created employment for skilled and unskilled workers from the surrounding area.

Project Clerk of Works Dorcas Kathambi Kang’ethe says the workforce has at times reached about 100 people.

“On a busy day, we have around 100 labourers,” Kang’ethe says.

The project has also provided practical training opportunities for seven interns, giving them hands-on experience in construction.

Kang’ethe says some of the interns have developed new skills and an interest in construction during their time on site.

“I can see, the day they came in, and today they have improved. They have learnt something new. Some even have changed their courses; they have started doing construction,” she says.

Among those employed on the project is mason Allan Gathige, who says the work has provided him with an income while allowing him to improve his skills.

“I was doing masonry, building with stones. The work here helped me pay my rent and support my family,” he says.

Gathige says working on the project has also exposed him to additional construction techniques.

“After I worked here, I gained skills and knowledge. It enabled me to gain more skills,” he says.

Construction works have included excavation, foundation works, concrete blinding, reinforcement, formwork, foundation walling, filling and compaction.

The project also includes construction of the ground-floor slab, reinforced concrete columns, beams, slabs, stairs and ramps, as well as roofing, masonry, electrical and mechanical installations, plastering, tiling, painting and ceiling works.

Kang’ethe says demand for trading space remains higher than the capacity of the new facility, with about 1,000 people requiring space compared with the approximately 400 traders the market can accommodate.

“After we completed our ESP, we realised the members, there were around a thousand, and this market is carrying around 400 traders,” she says.

The market is therefore expected to ease pressure on existing trading spaces while providing a permanent facility for traders.

For Gathige, the construction work has offered both a source of income and an opportunity to strengthen his trade. He says more development projects would give young people similar opportunities to earn a living while acquiring practical skills.