SULTAN RESIDENTS CELEBRATE AS FLOODLIGHTS TRANSFORM MBINDU MARKET

Joy and relief ripple through Sultan as newly installed floodlights light up Masumba Mbindu Market, turning a once-dark and insecure area into a vibrant night hub. Residents say the lights, switched on last week, have significantly improved security and peace of mind.

Local resident Mutua Mutunga says he can now sleep without fear of losing his cattle, a worry that once kept him awake at night. Another resident, Benjamin Wambua, says the transformation is so striking that the market has earned a new name. “It used to be called Masumba ‘Mbindu’, meaning darkness. Now we call it Masumba ‘Kyeni’ Market — the light market,” he said with a smile.

The high-mast, solar-powered lights, an initiative by the Makueni County Government in partnership with REREC through a match-funding model, illuminate a radius of over 100 metres, sparking renewed night-time economic activity.

Residents have lauded the county government, saying the project has directly improved their daily lives. They are now calling for the long-abandoned Mbindu market structure to be operationalized to further boost local economic growth.

Similar initiative has also been undertaken at Utangwa market in Kithungo Kitundu Ward.