Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi proudly inaugurated an ultra-modern recreational park in Kabarnet town, providing residents and organized groups with a much-needed space for social activities. The park, which was constructed alongside market wholesale shades and a back street road, Jua Kali – Anyiny road, funded jointly by the county government and the World Bank, cost a total of Sh 56 million.
Governor Cheboi highlighted the significance of the park’s proximity to the hospital, offering patients and residents a serene environment for relaxation and physical exercises. Additionally, the wholesale yard in the market will offer small-scale traders an ideal trading space, relieving them from conducting business along congested roadsides.
Accompanied by his deputy Eng Felix Kimaiyo, County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa, and Eng Benjamin Njenga from the state Department of Housing and Urban Development, Governor Cheboi urged town traders to seize the opportunity to engage in 24-hour businesses and improve their livelihoods. He emphasized the importance of using the market facility instead of resorting to roadside hawking, as his administration plans to enforce strict measures against non-compliance.
The newly constructed Jua Kali-Anyiny road aims to decongest the Kabarnet-Eldoret highway and enhance safety for market vendors. Additionally, the county government is actively working on developing crucial infrastructure in major towns, including cabro paving of pedestrian walkways, drainage works, installation of CCTV cameras, and street lighting to promote urban settlements.
Deputy Governor Eng Kimaiyo praised the completion of the three projects within a year, beating the set construction timeline. He encouraged the youth to make creative use of the public park to generate income.
Eng Benjamin Njenga, overseeing the three municipal projects’ construction, stressed the importance of the county government chartering more municipalities to access funding from Kenya Urban Support Programs (KUSP). The state department has already allocated Sh 120 million for the establishment of four market centers in Eldama Ravine, Kabartonjo, Marigat, and Tangulbei in Tiaty East, with a plea for support during the implementation phase to boost the economy.
Kabarnet ward MCA Ernest Kibet emphasized the town’s rapidly growing population and the necessity for stakeholders to address sanitation challenges. He called on investors to expand facilities and landowners to contribute to urban industrialization and commercialization.