Opened in 2007, Muthurwa market sits on a 12-hectare piece of land previously owned by the Kenya Railway Corporation and cost the government Ksh 700 million to build. It’s the second most important revenue-generating market in Nairobi, second only to Wakulima, with collections of Ksh 84 million projected for the current financial year.
It was constructed with the aim of moving hawkers out of the CBD and also to reduce traffic congestion by operating as a bus terminus for all public service vehicles from Eastlands.
When you visit Muthurwa market today, you would not believe that it was conceived as a modern market with excellent facilities. Although it’s a bustling hive of business activity, the market is in a sad state of neglect and disrepair.
We met a matatu driver who complained about the state of the road, which has potholes that fill up with pools of dirty water when it rains.
“Five years are coming to an end, the road here to the market is bad. We pay taxes, but there is nothing to be proud of”, said the driver.
According to him, Nairobi County has set up poor structures in the market, and it is hurting those who use it.
We also met passengers who said they left their homes wearing clean clothes but on reaching the market, their shoes and clothes got dirt and mud on them as they tried to navigate through the muddy pools of water, caused by poor drainage, and filthy mounds of garbage strewn all over the place.
The situation is just as bad for the traders because the putrid water spreads to their food stalls, and they fear an outbreak of diseases, such as cholera. They also complained about losing business because customers avoid going to their stalls.
They are now calling on the Nairobi County Government, under the leadership of Governor Sakaja, to urgently intervene, since their food is sent to many different parts of the country.