NAIROBI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's county governments have announced plans to develop industrial and agro-processing business parks worth millions of dollars in a bid to attract local and international investors to add value to local products.
The parks are expected to be given a status of export processing zones through the support of the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) which will offer technical support to the county governments.
The aim is to add value to agriculture produce, the backbone of East Africa's largest economy, hence providing more income to farmers and create jobs for hundreds of thousands of youths entering the job market every year.
The County Government of Homa Bay near East Africa's freshwater Lake Victoria is the latest to sign a deal has signed a deal with EPZA for a 10 million U.S. dollars park.
"This 1 billion dollar worth industrial park will boost the agricultural and trade sectors especially the cotton industry, leather processing, fruit processing and many other industries and will attract investors from all walks of life," said Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti in a recent interview.
The governor said the county has set aside 110 acres of land where the park will be constructed. The country is seeking to increase production of cotton and fish farming to provide the raw materials for the processors.
Nyandarua County in central Kenya has partnered with the EPZA in a bid to revive the farming and processing of the pyrethrum.
The CEO of EPZA said the authority will assist countries such as Nyandarua which have vast lands in processing local cash crops to enable farmers to earn better incomes.
The county has set aside 800 acres for additional farming and construction of the industrial processing plant.
Nyandarua County Governor Francis Kimemia announced the construction of an airstrip to support investors who will in the industrial park.
In Trans Nzoia Governor near Kenya's shared border with Uganda, Governor Patrick Khaemba said he is working with the national government to acquire 200 acres of land for the construction of the business center at the Suam border point.
"Ugandans are benefiting from the border since they have established businesses which have helped accelerate the economy of the area but we as Kenyans are losing big," said Khaemba.
Kirinyaga County which is adjacent to Mt. Kenya has also announced plans to build a 50 million U.S. dollars agro-processing park.
"The final model will be that of the private sector running the parks while we manage production and supply as the county government.
"The returns for the farmers will be 80 percent and the 20 percent will deduct and saved for their Sacco," said Kirinyaga County Governor Anne Waiguru.
The county is one of the East Africa's largest producer of rice and also leads in production of vegetables like tomatoes and French beans but sells all in raw form as it lacks processing capacity.
In Embu County, which hosts Kenya's largest hydropower dams, the county announced the construction of an industrial park near the site where Kenya power generator KenGen is putting up a 45-megawatt solar power plant.
KenGens chief environmental officer Amos Mbutu, said a feasibility study on the commercial viability of the power plant has been conducted and the firm is currently carrying out an environmental impact assessment in the 85-acre land.
Embu Deputy Governor David Kariuki said the plant will provide power to the industrial plant that is to be built adjacent to the solar plant.
Other industrial and business parks announced include those in Kilifi County near the Indian Ocean coast at a cost of 1 billion dollars to be developed by the investment firm Centum Investment.
Taita-Taveta County, in the coastal region, has a different model, to construct a 12 million dollars amusement park under a Public Private Partnership.
The county's strategic plan notes that the park is expected to generate revenue from amusement at the site, rent charged to food and drink vendors, licensing of photo and videographers carrying on commercial business and from parking charges.
