The Iten municipal manager Felix Kirongo has called on landowners within the Iten county headquarters to develop, lease or sell their land to developers to be used for development.
Kirongo said there were large chunks of prime land within the CBD that could be used for development but instead owners were still using them for agricultural activities which he said does not augur well for the growth of the town.
“Our town which is the county headquarters needs to grow, but there is no way it will grow if we don’t release land to investors,” he said.
The manager said the growth of the town will be to the benefit of the residents saying it will not only create jobs and stimulate the economy but also increase revenue collection thus enabling the county government to offer services.
Speaking during the opening of a petrol station in Iten town, Kirongo called on investors to take advantage of the many resources within the county to advance their businesses.
Speaking during the same function, Elgeyo Marakwet county CEC in charge of cooperative and trade Robert Kangogo called on business owners to paint their buildings saying this will give a facelift to the town.
The CEC welcomed investors saying the county was ready to work with all stakeholders in addition to providing a conducive environment for businesses to thrive and spur development in the area.
He called on the youth especially those who have graduated from TVETs with various skills to form business associations and take advantage of the expected growth of the town by bidding for tenders.
“The government is ready to offer loans to youth groups to engage in various income earning ventures,” he said.
The municipal manager also noted that the national government had three major projects that were ongoing citing the construction of the affordable housing and construction of clothes and vegetable markets which the youth can engage in to earn a living.
By Alice Wanjiru
