President William Ruto has announced that the government will issue a title deed for Nairobi’s Gikomba Market within the next 90 days, a move aimed at ending decades of ownership disputes and protecting traders from land grabbers.
Speaking from State House, Nairobi, on Tuesday, during a meeting with Gikomba Market traders, the President said the market sits on public land and that issuing a title deed in the name of Nairobi County will permanently settle its ownership.
“This will once and for all address speculation by land grabbers,” he said.
President Ruto directed Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome and Principal Secretary Nixon Korir to work closely with the National Land Commission to fast-track the process and ensure the title deed is handed over to the county government within the stated timeline.
In addition to the land issue, the President announced that the government will proceed with the construction of phase three of Gikomba Market once the ongoing phase two is completed. He said the expansion is part of a broader plan to modernise markets and create better working conditions for traders.
Earlier in the day, President Ruto met chairpersons and committee members from several other markets in Nairobi County. The markets represented included Kangundo Road, Wakulima, Muthurwa, Burma, Kangemi, City Park, Othaya (Woodley Jamuhuri), and Kawangware. The meetings focused on challenges facing traders, including infrastructure, security, sanitation and access to utilities.
The President said the National Government is working with the Nairobi County Government to tackle the long-standing problem of waste and garbage management in the city.
“We are supporting the County Government of Nairobi so that we provide a lasting solution to that challenge,” he said.
He also said the government is collaborating with the county to improve access to electricity across Nairobi. At the same time, he urged market leaders to work with authorities to stop illegal power connections, which he said pose safety risks and cause losses to power providers.
President Ruto reiterated his administration’s commitment to supporting traders, including small-scale vendors such as mama mboga, through the construction of modern markets across the country. He said the government plans to build 450 modern markets nationwide.
In Nairobi County alone, the President said the government is investing Sh7.2 billion to construct 15 new modern markets. Of these, eight markets are already under construction, while procurement processes for seven others are either complete or ongoing.
He explained that the new markets will be equipped with a reliable water supply, cold storage facilities, cyber services, proper sanitation and other essential amenities. The goal, he said, is to give traders a dignified working environment, reduce post-harvest losses and help increase their incomes.
Markets
Several market projects across Nairobi are at different stages of completion. In Starehe Constituency, a Ksh 350 million market is under construction and is 77 per cent complete. In Kasarani Constituency, the Sh415 million Maji Mazuri Market is 72 per cent complete and is expected to accommodate 1,200 traders.
In Ruaraka, Mathare North Constituency, a market valued at Sh177 million is 93 per cent complete and will serve 305 traders. In Riruta, a Ksh 313 million market is 36 per cent complete and will accommodate 667 traders. The Kasarani Wholesale Market, valued at Sh1.7 billion, is 60 per cent complete.
At Gikomba’s Block D, a Ksh 729 million market that will accommodate more than 1,700 traders is 92 per cent complete. Construction of the Ksh 315 million Uhuru Market in Makadara Constituency, which will have 853 stalls, has also begun.
In Kangemi, the President said a Ksh 275 million tender for phase one of the market, comprising 750 stalls, has been awarded. He added that phase two, which will also have 750 stalls at a similar cost, will be advertised in the coming weeks.
President Ruto also spoke about the Hustler Fund, saying it has helped traders access affordable credit and reduced reliance on shylocks who charge extremely high interest rates.
He said the fund offers loans at an annual interest rate of eight per cent, compared to shylocks who charge as much as 10 per cent per day. According to the President, about Sh50 million is borrowed from the Hustler Fund every morning between 3 am and 11 am.
He added that around 800,000 borrowers are frequent users of the fund, with some accessing loans once or twice a day. He said some borrowers have grown their credit limits and are now borrowing up to Ksh 150,000.
“Since the launch of Hustler Fund on November 30, 2022, Ksh 80 billion has been borrowed,” he said.
