Kajiado County Woman Representative Leah Sankaire has commissioned construction of Maasai Market in Ngong, Kajiado North-sub County.
Speaking during the launch Sankaire said the market will serve Ushanga women who have been selling their bead (Ushanga) in Nairobi.
The market will create job opportunities and transform living standards of the women in the county.
Many of the women did not go to school but can make decorative items that will fetch them good money.
Sankaire said the women have been exploited by brokers in Nairobi, who have been making a lot of money. There has been commercialization of beadwork which has been a traditional activity but there has been little economic benefit to the women due to brokers taking over the market.
“The women get buyers from outside the country but cannot communicate in English, the brokers take over and negotiate on their behalf, they give them as little as KSh20 bob taking more than a thousand, they do not protest since they cannot express themselves in English,” she said.
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The Department of Tourism will also allocate more funds for expansion of the market after a proposal to the department by the women representative; they will also receive funds from The National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) to put up a car wash.
Fatuma Mohamed (Migori Woman Rep) said the project will empower women in the region; she challenged the women to stop harmful cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation and focus in educating their children to be great leaders of tomorrow.
The land where the construction of the market is taking place was donated to the women by former minister late Prof George Saitoti.
Kajiado County speaker Jusus Ngossor said the construction of the markets puts to an end debate on ownership of the land, adding that the construction will now push away land grabbers who have been trying to take over the piece of land.
The speaker called for audit of public land in the country, to help government for proper planning.
The event was attended by Mary Maingi Mwea MP, Flowrence Jematiah Sergon (Baringo Woman Rep) Lilian Siyoi (Trans Nzoia Women), CECM for lands Hamilton Parseina and a number of Kajiado MCAs.
By Obegi Malack
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