Residents and traders in Chogoria, Maara Sub-county, have expressed excitement and gratitude over the ongoing construction of the Chogoria Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) Market, describing the project as a life-changing development for the region.
Speaking at the market site, trader Vieterina Muthoni Bundi said the new facility will end years of suffering endured by small-scale traders who have operated in harsh weather conditions without a proper market.
Muthoni recalled how traders previously sold their goods in muddy open spaces while exposed to rain and difficult conditions, saying the new market has restored dignity and hope to the business community.
“We started by selling outside in the mud and rain with so many challenges because Chogoria did not have a proper market. Today we are happy because we can see the market taking shape and nearing completion,” she said.
She praised the government under President William Ruto for fulfilling a long-standing dream that many residents believed would never materialize.
According to Muthoni, generations of traders in Chogoria had struggled without a modern trading space despite promises from successive administrations.
“Many governments passed while we remained outside suffering, but through the leadership of President Ruto we have now received an international market in Chogoria,” she added.
The trader noted that the market is expected to transform the local economy by providing organized spaces for vegetable vendors, meat sellers, hotels, and other businesses under one roof.
She also urged farmers from Chogoria, Maara, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, and neighboring regions to increase agricultural production to supply the new market once operational.
“We want to see lorries stopping here to buy produce and transport it to other towns. This market is not only for Chogoria people or Maara residents; it is a market that will benefit many regions,” she said.
Muthoni further appealed for unity among residents, urging traders to work together and support one another once they move into the new facility.
She described the market as an answered prayer for the people of Chogoria, comparing the joy of receiving the project to that of a mother finally getting a child after years of waiting.
“Chogoria was known mainly for the hospital and had no open-air market. Through prayers and unity, God has blessed us with this market,” she said.
The trader also defended the government’s development agenda, arguing that visible projects such as markets, roads, and hospitals are proof of progress.
“Development is what matters. When you are given a market, roads, and hospitals with medicine, that is real gratitude,” she stated.
Residents now hope the market will be completed quickly before the onset of heavy rains so traders can relocate into the modern facility and begin operations in a safer and more organized environment.
