Traders relocated from Nakuru town’s Central Business District to Nasher square may have to wait longer for the county government to provide them with a hawkers' complex.
This is after the county administration indicated that they were committed to providing the traders with a conducive business environment following their relocation from their initial business places.
County executive member for lands, housing and physical planning, Rachel Maina, yesterday called for the hawkers to exercise tolerance and resilience as the county works on plans to provide them with necessary facilities, including water and sanitation facilities.
“The county government is committed to providing the traders with all required facilities and possibly the county will have to build a hawkers complex,” said Maina in an interview in her office.
She said the county was looking forward to partnering with business people, donors and other organisations to oversee construction of a modern hawkers complex.
Ms Maina expressed optimism that the town clean-up exercise steered by Governor Kinuthia Mbugua had achieved an 80% success after about 2,800 traders dealing in fresh produce were relocated to the Wakulima market complex.
Those relocated to the Nasher square, which earlier served as a matatu terminus, are those dealing in other merchandises.
The traders were moved in a clean-up drive by the county that also aimed at decongesting the town. Governor Mbugua termed the exercise as efforts to restore the lost glory of the town which was rated in 2011 by the UN Habitat as the cleanest town in East Africa.
Mr Mbugua also revealed during an interview with HiviSasa.com that the clean-up was intended to woo more investors and tourists to the town, which is a strategically placed and acted as a gateway to many tourism sites in the region.