Four years after Governor Joshua Irungu’s halted a programme started by his predecessor Ndiritu Muriithi that aimed to modernize Laikipia’s urban centres to make them hubs of trade and production, residents of Makutano in Ngobit ward are demanding a smart town.
In a letter to the county executive member for Trade, the Makutano business community has decried the ‘deplorable and deteriorating’ condition of the town which is making doing business impossible and dangerous.
The traders said despite paying daily cess, rent and other county levies they continued operating in an unconducive, unsafe and undignified environment after the county administration corruptly allocated open spaces in the market leading to massive congestion.
“Markets were planned for specific capacity but are now over-allocated. This has led to extreme congestion, blocking of business premises, constant conflicts among traders and loss of customers,” they complained in a petition signed Mr SK Macharia.
The market lacks proper zoning for the different commodities, no sheds, drainage system, toilets, lighting and solid waste managements. It also lacks hospitable pathways for expectant mother, PWDs, wheelchairs and handcarts.
Audit and nullification of illegal and irregular allocations of open spaces and a transparent register of the freshly allotted
- Investigate and act against the county officers involved in the scam
- Decongest the town and provide adequate and planned trading spaces
- Others demands include disaster management infrastructure, ample parking spaces, running water, security and their involvement in decision-making
Makutano would have benefitted from the Laikipia Smart Towns Programme which is an urban renewal and economic development initiative launched in 2018 by Governor Ndiritu Muriithi to upgrade rural trading and market centers into modern, well-planned commercial hubs.
Initially designed to encompass up to 15 urban and market centers across the county, the goal was to spur local economic growth, decentralized urbanization and job creation by transforming small trading centers.
The centres included: Karuga, Mowarak, Doldol, Kalalu, Lamuria, Matanya, Pesi, Kinamba, Nanyuki-Thingithu, Nyahururu, Wiyumiririe, Naibor-Juakali, Ol Jabet, Rumuruti, and Ol Moran.
It focusedon improving roads to bitumen or cabro standards, expanding drainage systems, and installing solar street lighting while integrating multi-channel fiber-optic ducts for high-speed internet connectivity, modern waste management, and improved water and sanitation services.
It aimed to provide dedicated working spaces and manufacturing zones for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to generate local employment.
The ambitious rollout faced hurdles after changes in county leadership in 2022. The new administration, suspended ongoing construction in Doldol, Pesi, Kalalu, Karuga and Naibor leading to a protracted legal battle with contractors.
The administration also to follow-up with the national assembly on the floating of an infrastructure bond which was to fund the projects. Mr Muriithi who is running for the Laikipia governorship again in 2027 has the Smart Towns Programme as a pillar of his election manifesto.
