KARATINA, Kenya Jan 12 – Residents of Karatina in Mathira Constituency, Nyeri County, have praised President William Ruto for advancing his bottom-up economic agenda after the completion of the Karatina Marigiti ESP market.
Speaking during the handover, residents led by their chairman, Nelson Githinji, said the new facility will offer traders a decent working environment, shielding them from harsh weather and improving day-to-day business.
“This market will provide a decent place for traders to do their business away from the rain and scorching sun. It is a game-changer in modernising the hustle of middle-income traders,” Githinji said.
The market, which can accommodate more than 300 traders, includes a social hall, an ICT centre, a children’s play area and a designated breastfeeding space for mothers.
President Ruto said the market will serve as a major economic hub for Karatina and surrounding regions, including neighbouring Kirinyaga and Murang’a counties.
“I am here in Mathira to pay my debt. I am delighted that this ESP market is now complete and ready for occupation. This market will not only serve farmers and traders from Karatina, it is a major asset for the neighbours in Kirinyaga and Murang’a counties,” he said.
The President noted that the facility will support longer trading hours and provide storage and preservation infrastructure for fresh produce and other goods.
During the visit, Ruto also laid the foundation stone for the Karatina Affordable Housing project, which will comprise five residential blocks with a total of 680 housing units.
According to the project plan, the estate will include one-room, two-room and three-room units, studios, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units under the affordable housing typology, alongside market-rate two-bedroom and three-bedroom units.
The development will also include social amenities such as parking, landscaped green spaces, paved walkways, sanitary waste treatment sites, an underground water tank and a secure perimeter wall.
The project has created more than 700 jobs for local residents, both directly and indirectly, with the government also planning to onboard local Jua Kali associations to supply doors and windows.
The Affordable Housing Programme is a flagship government initiative aimed at delivering decent housing while supporting job creation and local industrial growth, with increased demand for building materials and services across the construction value chain.
