The government’s move to ease regulations, lower taxes and power tariffs at the expansive Naivasha Special Economic Zone has attracted 19 investors who have since started their operations.
The zone, located in Mai Mahiu near the Inland Container Depot, has been allocated over 6,000 acres to accommodate the growing list of investors eying a piece of its land.
The special zone is part of 38 others spread across the country where the government aims to boost local investments, lower import bills and create job opportunities for Kenyans.
According to Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui, the government seeks to ensure the zone is 40 percent operationalized by the end of next year.
Kinyanjui said the zone, which is set to be transformed into a major industrial and business hub backed by affordable housing and social amenities, would create over 50,000 jobs in the next 10 years.
The CS said that the government aims to support both heavy and light industries at the zone to spur local manufacturing and help reduce the huge import bill for the country.
“The government is spending billions of shillings to import products into the country and we aim to support local investments to lower this bill and save our forex,” said Kinyanjui.
In addition, the CS welcomed investments in data centres, electric vehicles, used cars auction and pharmaceutical industries noting that the government is aligning its policies to ease their operations.
He cited the zone’s proximity to the reliable and cost friendly geothermal energy in Olkaria as well as the railway linkage noting that they would ease the investors cost of production and transport to its customers.
Kinyanjui added that the government seeks to support local TVETs institutions to build their capacity and align their training and skilling for the job market.
He however decried tedious bureaucratic processes that have in the past slowed operations from investors noting that government is keen to address it.
“We are supporting the completion of connecting infrastructure such as link roads, water, power and other amenities that will ease operations at this zone,” said Kinyanjui.
The CEO of Special Economic Zones Authority Dr. Ken Chelule said they have sought over Sh1 billion from the Exchequer to speed up completion of crucial infrastructure at the zone.
He said increased demand by investors to set their industries at the zone forced government to increase land allocations from the initial 1,000 acres to the current 6,000 acres.
He said that part of the investors would be Kenya Bureau of Standards who are set to build a regional testing centre for imported used cars both for local users and those of the neighbouring countries.
In addition, Chelule said one investor has taken up over 2,000 acres to establish an integrated industrial park at the zone to drive established businesses.
He said once fully operational, thousands of youths would benefit from job opportunities and attract billions of dollar inflows into the country adding that 40 percent of the investors were Kenyans.
According to Nakuru County Chief Executive Member for Lands John Kihagi, the county has eased its business permit processes for investors to hasten their operations.
He said the county has earmarked Mai Mahiu as a major industrial hub with necessary amenities which would spur investments and create thousands of job opportunities to deserving youths and local communities.
By Erastus Gichohi
