Exploit Western Kenya, investors told

An ambitious plan to develop Western Province was launched on Thursday with Prime Minister Raila Odinga inviting investors to exploit agriculture, mining and tourism opportunities.

Mr Odinga said the province enjoyed good climate and had the human resources to boost economic development.

“These factors should attract and drive investment in agriculture and horticulture, manufacturing and industry, education and training, tourism and hospitality, wholesale and retail, transport and other services,” he told an investment conference in Kakamega Town.

Graft tackled

The PM said the government would improve infrastructure, especially the Kisumu-Kakamega-Webuye-Kitale and Chavakali-Eldoret roads.

“The role of the government is to create an environment in which investments survive and thrive,” he said. “As Western Province endeavours to identify the areas of investment potential and partners, the government will ensure that credit is easily available; the cost of doing business is reduced; red tape is done away with and graft is tackled”.

Mr Odinga was speaking when he opened the Western Province Investment Conference at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

He was accompanied by deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and several other Cabinet ministers.

“For this region, this conference launches the process of economic emancipation,” he said.

The meeting was part of a government initiative to economically empower all regions of the country by encouraging and promoting local and foreign investment.

The PM asked wananchi in the region to buy shares in the Nzoia Sugar Company which is due for privatisation.

“As a government, we know that the sugar industry is bedevilled with challenges of obsolete equipment, which have a negative effect on cost of production, efficiency and income for farmers. We are working on this problem,” he said.

The government was also concerned about the closure of the Pan-African Paper Mills in Webuye but would revive it.

“We are working out modalities for local, government and international partnerships. I promise you that Pan Paper will be on its feet again,” the PM said.

He said the government was committed to empowering all regions in the country by encouraging and promoting local and foreign investment, which would help in wealth generation and creation of employment.

Reducing cost

“We want to create an environment where investment can thrive and survive by reducing the cost of doing business,” he said.

Mr Odinga said land sub-division had contributed to increased poverty in the country as the parcels were not commercially viable, leading to the rise of rural slums. Saying that not everyone could be employed, the PM called for a shift from overdependence on employment.

“About 750,000 people leave formal education every year, while the government only has a capacity of 350,000. These government positions are already filled,” he said.

Reported By Cosmas Butunyi, Benson Amadala and John Shilitsa