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Proposed Industrial Park to employ 20,000 Nandi Youth

Investments, Trade, and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has said the proposed County Aggregation and Industrial Park in Nandi County will employ more than 20,000 youth and thereby impact unemployment challenges facing the county.

Kuria said the proposed Industrial Park to be set up in Chemase, Tinderet Constituency, will ensure Nandi tea, coffee, dry maize, and avocado produce are added value before they are taken to various parts of the country or even outside the country.

Once completed, the CS promised that the poverty currently experienced in the county will be forgotten because the residents will have money in their pockets.

According to Kuria, residents who are owners of small pieces of land will have their land properly utilised, and farmers will realise the value of their land once the industrial park is operational.

The CS singled out existing maize farmers and local maize trading individuals and groups as among those who are to benefit greatly from the proposed industrial park.

“Imagine dry maize produced from here is packed in a truck and then transported up to Mombasa, then, after being processed, is packed again and brought here to be sold…Surely, are we going to continue like this? Something must change,” Kuria posed when he led a fund-raiser at Kapsabet Showground to complete construction of the Anglican Church of Kenya Plaza.

Kuria said the Industrial Parks launched across the country are meant to enable common people in business to buy and process farm produce using the minimum capital possible within their reach.

The Trade CS said the government has identified industrial parks as key centres where local people’s produce is processed in real time, thereby minimising wastages that are normally experienced during harvest seasons.

He said he will be visiting the county again in a few weeks’ time to launch the proposed industrial park project, believed to be the first of its kind in the county.

The Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, who was present, however, pleaded with the church at the community’s level to support the government to end outlawed alcoholism and consumption of hard drugs, which have threatened to destroy the next generation of youth.

Koskei asked church leaders to continuously create awareness about the dangers of alcoholism by encouraging the youths to engage in productive activities aimed at ending poverty in their communities.

“If you see the County Commissioner, the Deputy County Commissioner, and the police raiding drinking joints, I plead with you to support them so that we restore sanity in our county and the country at large,” Koskei pleaded with the Church and the public.

Koskei further asked the religious groups to help the government in its declared war against corruption by sensitising the followers on the dangers and effects of corruption in the country.

The function, during which over Sh 13 million was raised, was also attended by ACK archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, regional and local political leaders, among other dignitaries.

By Geoffrey Satia

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