Stakeholder intensify plans for Smart Market Concept in Nairobi

City Hall is working closely with the state department for housing and urban development to formalise policies that will improve the state of markets in the city.

Officers from both levels of govenrment on Wednesday begun a two day ession to develop the National Markets development Policy in Kenya as well as make recommendations on the design of the Smart Markets concept.

They include CECs Winfred Gathagu (Commerce, Tourism and Cooperatives), Lucia Mulwa (Food, Agriculture and Forestry) and Charles Kerich (Lands, Urban Planning, Urban Renewal, Housing and Project Management joined other stakeholders in Naivasha for a two day consultative

The workshop is organized by the State Department for Housing and Urban Development in partnership with Eastern Africa Grain Council with support of Rockefeller Foundation.

While addressing the session, Ms Gathagu said that the new policy will help improvise various upgrade activities that will change how markets are managed in the city

“Currently there are about 50 formal County owned markets in Nairobi City and hundred informal markets. Therefore the National markets development Policy seeks to standardise and formalise markets across the counties, enhance synergies amongst traders, trade associations and regulators,” she said.

She also added that this will help out in Zonning and market segregation, introduce gender friendly infrastructure and Introduce food value addition and storage facilities to ensure commodities availability all year round.

Ms. Gathagu also called upon the policy makers to consider other emerging issues like; provision of nurseries for nursing mothers and ease of accessibility to People with disabilities.

City Hall is also working on developing Market Management models applicable to existing markets and new upcoming markets.

“This policy is aimed at creating physical, environment and business friendly trading infrastructure, enhance functionality and utilization of public markets and trading facilities, inculcate and strengthen entrepreneurial skills among traders and establish cohesive and effective management models for public markets.”

To increase the number of trading spaces,the multi agency team is expected to effect designing and building markets guided by research and development.

This will involve legislating and implementing new market management models applicable to existing markets and new upcoming markets, enacting legal framework for trading spaces application, allocation and management of county market facilities

The county will also allocate a considerable percentage of the revenue for development, operational, management and maintenance costs.

Nairobi County is amongst the 7 pilot Counties involved in this policy development process. The other counties are; Meru, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Nyamira, Nakuru and Kajiado.