The County Government of Lamu in conjunction with the World Bank is set to pump Sh50 million into the old iconic Lamu market in a bid to give it a face lift and improve its hygiene.
The project which is funded by the World Bank is set to see the market expanded and the number of traders increased as well as improve the area's infrastructure.
Lamu is one of the 10 municipalities selected out of the 53 that submitted their applications for the Sustainable Urban Economic Development Project which supports fast-growing municipalities to develop critical infrastructure.
Confirming this reports, Lamu municipality manager Mr Omar Famau in an exclusive interview said that the funds have already been disbursed and work was set to commence in a few days.
He added that they will concentrate their focus on increasing the number of stalls, enhancing hygiene and storage facilities including coolants, bring order by ensuring that issues of waste management, hawkers operating outside the market, security and revenue collection are addressed.
“On behalf of the people of Lamu, I thank the World Bank for offering us a crucial project to a county like Lamu. That means business will grow faster as most activities will be conducted in a better environment. We are thankful to the governor for championing this venture. We look forward to a modern market befitting this town,” he said.
On his part, Lamu Municipal Market Welfare Organisation Secretary Geoffrey Walumbe requested traders to be supportive of the project since they have suffered for years while operating in a dilapidated market.
“We thank the county government leadership under Governor Fahim Twaha for coming up with such an idea to upgrade our market. Let’s all welcome it. It’s for our benefit,” Walumbe said.