The Contract Implementation Team in the County has visited the Agricultural Training Centre at Naotin and the Fresh Produce Market at Canaan in Kanamkemer Ward.

The Chief Officers; Samuel Ekale (Economic Planning), Janerose Tioko (Agriculture and Land Reclamation), and Cathra Abdi (Public Works) led the members of CIT in inspecting the completion status of the two projects.

The two projects are funded by the World Bank through the Kenya Devolution Support Programme (KDSP).

The investments in the construction of the projects cost more than Sh 100 million.

The chair of the CIT, who is also the acting Director for Economic Planning, Francis Lokwar said the two projects were supposed to have been completed in May 2023.

“The delay in the project’s completion was a result of the lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic that brought everything to a standstill,” Lokwar explained.

The Chief Officers unanimously agreed that the projects should be completed at the end of December 2023, to pave the way for the launch and operationalization of the facilities in January 2024.

The Eng Dennis Machoka, who is the Project Manager for the Training Centre says, the facility sitting on a 50-acre land is at 92%.

While giving review comments, Eng Ignatius Kopeto, who is the Director for Public Works, said the Canaan Fresh Produce is at 100% complete and awaits operationalization.

He said the market on 1.5 acres of land has 112 stalls well built and safe for the traders to retail their fresh produce.

However, the CCOs raised concerns over the safety of the casual team working in the two facilities. The Contractors were advised to observe the safety precautions key to the safety of the personnel and environment conservation.

CIT also observed that the contractor to consider improving the lavatories for People With Disability (PWDs) in the market.

Once the two projects are launched and operationalized, the Department of Economic Planning will be handed over to the User Departments of Trade and Agriculture.

The visit comes at the time Members of the CIT visited the two sites on December 5, 2023.

Those present were; Phoebe Ekali, Director of Environment, Wilson Ejiye, Deputy Director, of internal trade, Esau Erupe, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Joshua Napoco, Director of Administration, Jacob Mutua, Environment and Social Safeguards, Michael Ekusi, Accountant and Fred Muya, Procurement