The management of Kisumu City has closed operations at the Kibuye Open Air market until further notice over fears of a cholera outbreak.
Before we get into the details of all this in our beloved Kisumu City. Lets talk about Kibuye Market in Kisumu. It is in an uphill kind of land in Kisumu.
I knew Kibuye Market when I was a high school student at Kakamega High School. I am from Bondo so I will go to the school and my mother always rudely or maybe lovingly insisted to take me there as if I did not know how to get there. I was 20 years old at the time. I was telling my mother I can do everything. She refused to buy that idea.
So when the school closes and we go home I take the bus to Kisumu. I should be on my way to Bondo. But I go to my uncle’s place in Manyatta in Kisumu. Manyatta is something else in Kisumu City. My uncle knew every inch of it. The old guy kept me in order and sent me home to my home family.
One reason I loved to go to my uncle’s house in Manyatta is that on weekends we went to Kibuye Market which from Manyatta you just walk north and you are there. But you have to know where you are going because it is so big. If you want fruits and vegetables. You go there. If you want good delicious food made of all great food stuff they have like fish, vegetables, chicken, kachumbari, omena, ombambla, Mokimo. Great you are at home.
The one great thing about Kenyans is we love our food and we make it good right from the family level. Kibuye Market Food producers have taken that to a new level. Every kind of food is there. Keep it coming. Please.
Now here are the specific issues at stake for the great Kibuye Market in Kisumu.
Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga says an assessment report by the department of public health pointed to a bleak future for the market goers.
“The department has raised serious concerns over the existence of multiple public health nuisances at the market,” he said.
He says the danger poses a significant threat to the health of the general public but also risks escalating the spread of cholera.
The city manager notes most notorious nuisances identified include, lack of clean and safe water supply, improper solid waste management and unsanitary ablution blocks and toilet facilities.
Others are, open and unsafe cooking practices within the market and blocked drainage systems and encroachment on access lanes.
“These conditions pose an imminent risk to public health, especially during this rainy season when waterborne disease transmission is heightened,” he said.
While addressing the press at his office in Kisumu on Friday, Abala announced that the closure will remain in force until action is taken.
He says the city will strive during the closure period to provide adequate, clean and safe water supply to the market.
“We are also going to design and implement a solid waste management system for effective waste collection and disposal,” he said.
Also targeted, is the removal of all structures and stalls obstructing drainage systems and access lanes.
During the temporary closure, Abala directed the general public and all traders that the market day for Kibuye, which falls on Sunday, will be moved to Uhuru Business Complex Market.
He says the city has put in place adequate measures to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure minimal disruption to trading activities.
The leadership of the market has had a ruing tussle with the City management for a long period of time.
Often, the matter has been taken to court, thwarting plans by the City to kick out the current market leadership, with the closure being seen as efforts by the city to drive out the leadership.
Mr. Wanga says current conditions increase the risk of spreading cholera.
The city manager stated that the city has put in place adequate measures to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure minimal disruption to trading activities.
“We assure the public and stakeholders that the City of Kisumu is committed to resolving the identified public health concerns with urgency. Every effort will be made to ensure that Kibuye Market resumes normal operations within the shortest time possible.”
But here is the new Kibuye Market for me when I came back to my country from exile in Tanzania.
My sisters were doing great business in our town. They were going to Kibuye Market almost everyday. They leave at 6.00 A.M and they are back by 11.00 AM. They have the fruits, the vegetables and tons of clothes.
Then I go back to the market and my sister who makes school uniforms is buying fabrics from Dubai at very good price. That is how smart the business process there is.
So here we have an established marketing and shopping centre that covers all of the region.
Farmers and business people bring their products there and there are traders from all over the region coming to sell and buy in their shops like my sisters who go there at 8.00 A.M in the morning and they all have trucks with their friends so they can afford to bring their products for sale at their local market.
When you look at Kibuye Market today it is truly challenging.
Governor Nyong’o ‘s first job is to get money to do physical construction starting from buildings, water system, garbage disposal process and washrooms. This great place is dying and Governor Nyong’o has to work with everybody to fix it.
Nyong’o can also work with international funders to help in the whole work and bring solar energy to cover the entire Kibuye Market.
This dying Kibuye must be rebuilt.
Kibuye Market is a business magnet for Kisumu City and it is a shame that it is on the verge of collapse because of basic things like hygiene and keeping the place clean. That has to be done but the biggest issue is for the county and the national government to take down the shaky wood tents and build real market structures there. It is possible and that is how cities build based on what the citizens produce and sell.
Being the largest open air market in Africa is something and that is what Kibuye Market is right now. How great is that.
But Kisumu is a very complex city with so many dimensions even in geography. You can go to Kakamega and Western from there. You Can go to South Nyanza and Kisii in one big ride from Kisumu. And you can can roll to Bondo and Usenge Beach. How about going to Maseno town and college.
There are many faces of Kisumu like this Maasai market right in the middle of town which is great for business and tourism.
Masai Craft Market In Kisumu
Then there is the hospitality industry in Kisumu and me I start with the Imperial hotel right at the head of the Oginga Odinga Road at the heart of the city. I take my nephews there just to let them have fun then when I bug them about going to school and finishing college they can forgive me.
The Hotel
With a heritage of over 30 years, the hotel features 93 spacious, newly refurbished rooms, tastefully furnished and offering the most modern of comforts for a bespoke experience. These include high-speed WIFI, indoor and outdoor restaurants that celebrate traditional and international cuisine, an impressive bar and lounge perfect for a well-deserved nightcap, and superior conference and banqueting facilities for that successful event. The icing on the cake is our excellent service with a smile, with which the Sarova brand is synonymous.
Nowadays when we leave the Imperial Hotel my nephews and nieces want to go to Kenyatta Sports Ground in the heart of Kisumu City and they can whatever they want and also there is food and all sorts of stuff there.
Kisumu County
Discover Kisumu County
Kenyatta Sports Ground with Lake Victoria in the background
Kisumu Airport’s Sh4.9 billion upgrade to unlock export market for farmers
As for the inner details of Kibuye market for food and fruits traders I want them to look at the market right next to where I live which was built by farmers in the 1950s.
St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, which includes markets, signage and interior views is a perfect example of which direction the famous Kibuye market should be heading for the food section.
At the broader level, I think our governments both at the county and national level need to listen to what the Vietnamese Gas President told our delegates in China where President Ruto was making hundreds of billions of loan deals.
Turn off the microphone! Vietnam Gas President boldly slams Kenya’s poor leadership
Vietnam Gas President Doanh Chau has taken a rather bold swipe at African leadership – and especially Kenya, accusing them of lacking long-term vision and a serious execution culture that continues to stall the continent’s development.
Speaking after meetings with President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in Nairobi, Chau painted a grim picture of Kenya’s investment climate despite the government’s ambitious rhetoric around infrastructure and economic transformation.
“I met with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and President William Ruto in Nairobi. They spoke with energy about Kenya’s future—investment, infrastructure, public housing,” he wrote on his LinkedIn page.
“But behind the polished language was a painful truth: there is no serious execution culture.”
Chau argued that the problem in Kenya and much of Africa was not a lack of money or talent but a system deeply entrenched in short-term political performances rather than sustainable development.
“Leaders talk big, but systems don’t move. They wait for outsiders to bring business, rather than build an environment for it,” he lamented.
He used the electricity supply as a key indicator to draw comparisons between Kenya and his home country, Vietnam claiming that the government only performs when preparing for the next donor visit or summit.
“Vietnam: 100 million people, over 70 GW of power. Kenya: 50 million people, only 4 GW. This is not a side issue, it’s the foundation of economic development. No investor will build a factory where the lights flicker every day,” he said.
Chau was especially critical of Kenya’s infrastructure priorities, citing the Nairobi–Mombasa Expressway as a flashy but disconnected investment.
“The government built a fancy expressway from Nairobi to Mombasa, without an export industry to support it. Meanwhile, millions live in slums and huts, with no access to reliable utilities,” he added.
He also pointed to Kenya’s underwhelming tourism experience as another missed opportunity.
“Safari bookings require 90-minute check-ins at park gates, even with reservations. After 9 pm, everything closes. There’s nothing for visitors to experience or spend on beyond a Masai market that’s essentially a souvenir stand,” Chau said.
On housing, Chau noted that President Ruto’s plans for public housing were unlikely to attract serious investors due to “petty corruption and legal instability.”
“There are no credible incentives, no serious risk guarantees. In short, no real initiative to make it happen,” he said.
He contrasted this with Asia’s approach, where leaders are more focused on delivery than display.
“Leaders are up at 5 am working on execution, not speeches. Power supply is constant. Policies are consistent and data-driven. Incentives align with performance,” he said.
For Chau, the real barrier to Africa’s growth is not external, it’s mental. “Africa doesn’t lack potential, it lacks a mindset shift. Leadership must stop performing for the next donor visit or summit. It must build systems that attract local and global investment, reward builders, and guarantee follow-through.”
In conclusion, Chau appealed to grassroots leaders to take initiative in solving energy problems, promising support for solar-based microgrids.
“If you’re ready to take the first step toward a solar energy project rooted in your local realities, I promise I will be there with you,” he said.
“I will bring solar panels and energy storage systems to help build microgrids—small, self-sufficient sources of power that don’t depend on distant, complicated government programs.”
He added, “Let’s work together and show what’s possible when compassion, commitment and community lead the way.”
His parting shot? “The global window is closing. Asia isn’t waiting. If Kenya and much of Africa want a real economic future, they must turn off the microphone—and turn on the power.”
The CEO’s blunt review of the broken Kenyan governance system attracted reactions from thousands of Kenyans on social media, with many supporting his views and joining him in blasting the Ruto-led administration.
Expressing his stance on the matter, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi said: “When we say Kenyans elected people with big English, big words, big cars, big bank accounts, big choppers, big lies but small brains, we mean it. The world is disappointed with everyone in Ruto government.”
“Kenya needs a dedicated team of leaders with clear vision, charisma, focused, enthusiastic and smart. Kenya is supposed to be Africa’s finest economically. Kenya needs a renaissance.”
Martin Mwanza also agreed with the Vietnamese CEO, writing, “We seem to tolerate corruption, appointing corrupt people to government positions and expecting better results; how stupid are we, while countries like China hang corrupt people and Vietnam hangs drug lords instead of giving them state jobs? In Kenya, we steal from taxes, loans, and even steal government land. We steal everything, including cemeteries; how can we expect to develop like nations such as Singapore when we lack leadership and commitment?”
President Ruto is renowned for his oratory skills, persuasive language and eloquent rhetoric, which may probably have convinced investors to flood the Kenyan market, but President Chao now asks, at what cost?
Some ideas for the country: READ: The Bondo Rural Strategic Devt Agency
