NANDI GEARS UP FOR INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
Since the advent of devolution and the transformation agenda envisaged by H.E Governor Stephen Sang’s manifesto, Nandi County has made several initiatives towards the development and growth of the industrial and enterprise development sector. The chief mandate of the Industrialization sub sector is to create an environment that is conducive for industries to thrive thereby transforming our society both socially and economically to an industrial state. This is through creation of friendly policies, availing of support services and infrastructure as well as regulating the sector properly.
To achieve these goals, for the next five to ten years, we are aligning ourselves with the Central Government’s big four agenda where manufacturing is one of the pillars. We are focusing on manufacturing through Agro-processing, value addition, and developing & supporting cottage industries. We are also encouraging both public and private sector led investment in setting up of coffee processing plants, a milk processing factory, a leather processing unit, a maize milling and animal feeds plant.
By the end of this calendar year, we will have a fully functioning textile and apparel unit established at Kapsabet town. This will be able to train more than 100 youth annually on tailoring, embroidery, design and pattern making. After training, most will be supported to set up their own enterprises and be supplied by the factory. This will create thousands of indirect jobs while earning the county revenue. The subsector is working on a policy that will culminate in the creation of a County Enterprise fund which will be available for youth and women engaging in cottage industry businesses, small and medium sized enterprises, and boda boda businesses. Once operational, the county will pump in more than 20 million Kenya Shillings annually, both from its own resources as well those of development partners like the Kenya Industrial Estates, while a portion of the monthly sticker and license fees paid by the target traders will also be channeled into the revolving fund and be lent to them on very little interest rates. This will enable them grow their capacities and in the process create more jobs. They will receive training and attend capacity building clinics to ensure that proper business management skills are imparted in them.
Public participation was conducted at Kibigong market in Chemelil/Chemase ward on 2nd May 2018 where the locals were taken through the importance and the legal requirements on the establishment of the Special Economic zone on a 200 acre farm in the area. The Export Processing Zone (EPZ) which is on course will create employment opportunities to thousands of residents in Nandi, increase the economy of the county and promote trade through value addition.