The Nakuru County government commissioned the construction of the Ksh239 million Naivasha smart fish market on Wednesday, August 11.
Students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) designed the modern fish market.
Speaking at the project’s commissioning in Naivasha, Nakuru County Governor Lee Kinyanjui revealed that the solar-powered market would offer smart solutions. These include systems digitization, e-waste management as well as e-mobility solutions.
It will be constructed in the Karai area of Naivasha along the busy Nairobi –Nakuru highway. The project was birthed through a partnership with the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) and The Rockefeller Foundation through its Food Initiative Programme (FIP) in the country.
“Today we commissioned the construction of the Naivasha Smart Fish Market in Karai on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. The market will be a game-changer for the youth who have been selling fish by the roadside,” tweeted Kinyanjui on Tuesday, August 10.
Additionally, he explained the use of solar energy to power cold storage facilities. The feature would be beneficial in preserving fish and other produce for longer hours, thereby reducing wastage.
The facility will also feature cold rooms to better control diseases that emanated from poor storage of fish. Traders would benefit from improved spacing, sanitation and hygiene.
At a cost of Ksh80 million, the first phase of the structure is set to be complete by December 2021. It will accommodate 100 traders. The number of traders will then expand to 300 when the market is wholly functional by 2022.
This joint effort of innovative JKUAT students and the Nakuru County administration aims at curating a conducive environment for the fish trading business.
Additionally, it eliminates the dangers posed to traders while selling along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
The centre is set to revolutionize the fish trading business in the region. The fish market will create meaningful employment for youths in the fish value chain. This is because of the presence of a ready market.
