Kisii County will now be able to regulate Trade and market activities following the adoption of a legal framework to this effect by the County Assembly yesterday.
The framework provided in the Trade and Markets bill 2015 seeks to restore order in the operations and management of Markets. The bill that was unanimously endorsed by Members of the County Assembly provides for the establishment of the Directorate of Trade whose functions will be to control market activities.
Under the office of the Directorate will be the Director of Trade, Deputy Director and other Officers. Chairman of the Trade Committee Timothy Ogugu said its enactment will see the control and proper management of Public markets.
It will give the Directorate of Trade the power to make charges for use of stalls, to streamline hawking, carboot sales and sale of meat. Ogugu said the Directorate of Trade will have the power to establish a market committee which shall include a chairperson of the market committee and two persons of both gender representing the market traders.
The market committee will be required to provide assistance in market management, supervise sanitation work, ensure maintenance and other functions assigned to it. Public Market traders will have to secure license to operate from the Directorate of Markets. Trade will only be allowed in areas designated as Public markets.
Those in contravention of this provision risk a fine of upto shs100,000 or a six month jail term.
Those seeking to carry out commercial activity from an open air market must also obtain a licence.
Hawkers will also be required to be licensed to operate same as those who organise car boot sales in public or private places.
The sale of meat will also be restricted to a Public market or in a shop licensed by the Directorate. No one will also be allowed to sell meat unless he or she meets the standards provided for in the Public Health Act.
The County Government sponsored bill now awaits His Excellency the Governor James Ongwaes assent before it becomes law.
