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New Gikomba market to be ready by end of year – PHOTOS

April 23rd, 2019 1 min read

Construction of the new Gikomba market will be completed by the end of the year, Housing and Urban Planning principal secretary Charles Hinga has said.

The highrise, swanky market is expected to offer a lasting solution to the perennial fires at the market.

Governor Mike Sonko had in August 2018 announced plans to turn the  East Africa’s biggest open air market into a modern, five-storey market.

Mr Hinga said that hopefully the market would be complete by the end of the year.

“This is Gikomba market. Running a 24 hour shift. Started in December, foundation and floor level done. After many years of promises, phase 1 of the market will be a reality late this year,” he tweeted.

“Successive governments have promised to fix. I’m glad I’m part of the doers and not the sayers. Our small scale traders who employ 80 percent of our people deserve dignity. I’m so focused on this,” he said.

He added that City Hall is already working with the Quarray Market Committee to allocate stalls to traders. Priority will be given to those who were displaced by the fires.

According to Sonko, the highrise market will have 525 stalls all serving and selling different wares.

In building plans he shared on social media, the first floor of the proposed market will have a cold room for 25 fish mongers and 76 clothes stalls.