Mombasa county government has bowed to pressure and allowed traders to start operating in the refurbished Kongowea market that was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta six months ago.
The new market was constructed by the national government at a cost of Sh 320 million and was handed over to the county government by President Uhuru Kenyatta in September last year.
However, the county administration had refused to allow in the traders after row erupted between the President and Joho over the project.
The county government had put up bill boards indicating that it was undertaking the refurbishment and construction of a new section of the market put the boards were ordered pulled down by Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa.
Yesterday, Joho witnessed the relocated of about 2,200 micro-traders that used to operate on the roadside within the Kongowea market to new table stalls that have the county has put up in the market.
He said the re-allocation is aimed at decongesting and creating space for pedestrian and vehicle movement within the market.
The national government had threatened to take over the market and allow traders to begin operating from it if allocation of spaces was not speeded up.
In January, President Uhuru had expressed disappointment that months after he commissioned the upgraded market, traders were still being frustrated over allocation.