Residents of Matano Manne village in Sokoke ward, Kilifi County can now sigh with a relief after the Kilifi County government handed over the Matano Manne market on Friday.
The handing over the facility was done by Sokoke MCA Thaura Mweni who said the market is now ready for traders to trade their wares and open the region for economic development.
“It is a new beginning for the residents of Matano Manne and its environs including Bale, Malanga, Mrima wa Ndege and Vitengeni who could only access the market either in Kilifi or Malindi towns. That is now history and from today, the community can use this facility to improve their lives,” said Mr Mweni.
The ward representative said the operation of the Market will give local traders a clean, safe and conducive environment for doing businesses; it will also create an ideal and convenient avenue for exchange of goods and services.
“It will give opportunity to our local farmers and producers in the ward to get Market for their produce. The Market will also help to create employment opportunities, boost the small and medium enterprises and help start-ups to grow their businesses,” Mr Mweni added.
For the past two months, the MCA has been implementing robust measures to ensure that youth and women across the ward are empowered and self-reliant.
“Among the many projects in Sokoke ward include the infrastructure development where I have opened roads to ease access to transport by the community. Several roads are under construction. We are doing this as a County to implement these projects that the locals themselves had pointed out in different public participation programs,” said Mr Mweni.
We have also in our community empowerment projects given out tent and chairs, Posho Mills, Motor Bikes and other financial assistance to youth and women groups through the Mbegu Fund,” he added.
Some of the traders lauded the opening of the market and said that it will ease trade and improve on their lives.
“WE have been waiting for the opening of this market but now we can trade in here. Sometimes we would vend our goods in the open and whenever it rained, our goods would be destroyed. Now it is a new beginning for us,” said Dama Kahindi, a woman trader.
Her sentiments were echoed by Julius Karisa, also a small scale trader lauded Mr Mweni for the efforts and vowed to increase his trading wares and support his family.
“This is what we now call empowerment. We want to thank the MCA for these efforts and now we can trade even if it is raining because our goods will be safe,” he said.
The MCA urged the traders to make maximum use of the facility to improve their lives for the better.
“Come and sell your wares here. This market is for you and you have to use it to the maximum,” said Mr Mweni.
