Gakoromone market works gather pace as Nkanata warns against open defecation in Meru town
Nkubu Town Municapal Manager Ken Mutwiri (left) and Meru Town Municipal Manager (Right) Gitobu Nkanata Adress the Press. Photo by Brian Gitonga
The KSh1.2B three-storey project will triple available trading space, while the municipality moves to enforce sanitation standards ahead of a push for city status
By Brian Gitonga
Construction of the KSh1.2B Gakoromone Market in Meru town is under way following the successful relocation of traders to temporary sites, with a perimeter wall already erected around the 4.6-acre plot where the new structure will stand.
Meru Municipality Manager Gitobu Nkanata confirmed the progress during a press briefing at the Meru Municipal Town Hall, commending the county government, led by Governor Rev Mutuma M’Ethingia, for facilitating the trader relocation that allowed the contractor to move on site. The planned facility will rise to three floors — effectively tripling the available trading footprint from the equivalent of 4.6 acres to 12 acres and addressing a longstanding shortage of space that had left many traders without room to operate.
“We have very many people who wanted to sell their merchandise in the market but could not find space. From the former 4.6 acres, we will now have the equivalent of 12 acres because the market will have three floors,” Nkanata said.
He said the county government’s broader objective was to build an environment where traders across the economic spectrum — from those selling fresh produce to those running pharmacies and hotels — could invest and operate with confidence. “We are defending every business person, from those selling bananas to those running chemists, hotels and other businesses, so that they can feel secure and we can create a good environment for business,” he said.
While traders wait for the permanent structure to be completed, the county is constructing more than 20 toilets at the temporary trading site. Nkanata said the municipality opted for permanent sanitation facilities over portable options, citing concerns about the suitability of portable units during the rainy season.
The municipal manager also used the briefing to address what he described as a growing public health concern — open defecation in parts of Meru town. He warned that the practice was incompatible with the town’s ambitions and that enforcement action would follow. “Open defecation is not allowed. We have public toilets that people can use, and our law enforcement officers will be prepared to hand over anyone caught to public health officers for action,” Nkanata said, adding that offenders risked legal consequences under existing public health legislation.
Nkanata framed the sanitation drive as part of a wider effort to raise Meru’s standards ahead of its pursuit of city status. On that theme, he also announced that KSh75M has been set aside for the upgrading of Nteere Park, which he said the town needed as a quality recreational space befitting its aspirations. Planned improvements include a perimeter wall to enhance security, parking facilities, a curio shop, an eatery, and landscaping along the river running through the site. “Nteere Park has been earmarked for elevation as a recreational facility where people can rest when they come from places such as hospitals and courts, or when they need somewhere to sit and discuss matters,” he said.
Developments are also moving forward in Nkubu, which was formally chartered as a municipality and gazetted in July 2026. Nkubu Municipality Manager Ken Mutwiri Kamashinani credited Governor M’Ethingia, Nkuene MCA Martin Koome Makasi, and Imenti South MP Shadrack Mwiti for the collaborative effort that delivered the new municipality’s status.
“I thank all these leaders for coming together and putting their thoughts together so that we now have a new municipality for Nkubu, which was chartered by the governor and gazetted in July 2026,” Mutwiri said.
Among the projects under way in Nkubu is a perimeter wall around the local stadium, which serves as a sporting facility for young people in the area. Mutwiri said approximately half of the wall has been completed and expressed confidence that the remainder would be finished before the year ends. “We have put up the perimeter wall around the stadium halfway, and I believe that, just as the governor promised last year, this year we are going to have it completed so that we can secure the stadium,” he said.
The county has also released funds to renovate Nkubu’s fresh produce market, which serves more than 1,000 traders, with work targeting persistent rainwater leakage during wet weather. Renovations are additionally under way at Nkubu’s Marikiti market, covering improvements to toilet facilities and spaces used by tailors, while the municipality’s offices are being refurbished to improve service delivery to residents.
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