PS Omollo: How Tot Market Is Rewriting Kerio Valley’s Story

The Principal Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Raymond Omolo, has hailed the Tot market in Elgeyo Marakwet as one of Kenya’s most transformative development projects.

Once infamous as a death trap,scarred by conflict and lawlessness, the Kerio Valley is now rewriting its story. The region is rapidly evolving into a thriving hub of agriculture and industrial growth, with Tot market at the heart of this resurgence.

“Situated in a region renowned for its immense mango production, the factory has directly employed more than 30 people, with many others indirectly benefiting from its operations,” Omolo noted.

The impact goes far beyond numbers. The factory has opened up vital employment opportunities for locals, offering young people dignified livelihoods that stand in stark contrast to the insecurity that once defined the valley.

Farmers now enjoy a reliable market for their mangoes, while new investments are being stimulated across the entire value chain, from aggregation to transport and processing.

The factory’s flagship product, the Kerio Valley Mango fruit drink, has become a household name. It’s sold across the country, including in Nairobi, with Eldoret City emerging as its biggest market.

Beyond juice, the factory also processes fresh mangoes into high-quality puree, destined for premium buyers.

But mangoes aren’t the only gold growing in the valley. Within the plantations, apiaries hum with activity.

From these hives, original honey is harvested and packaged, adding another income stream for local farmers and further diversifying the region’s agribusiness portfolio.

Equally transformative is the factory’s nursery program. It trains farmers and supplies them with high-quality seedlings, ensuring sustainability and boosting productivity.

In 2024 alone, the factory donated 50,000 seedlings to the county government for distribution across Elgeyo-Marakwet.