State unveils new 2030 industrial blueprint

Jua Kali artisans make their wares in Kisumu. Photo/FILE

A strategic plan to transform Kenya into a newly industrialised middle-income country by 2030 has been unveiled by the Government.

Mr Samuel Keter, deputy director of industries, ministry of Industrialisation said the plan for 2008 to 2012 provides a roadmap that shows how the ministry intends to create an enabling environment for industrialisation in the country.

He added that the ministry is also encouraging the opening up of new industries to ensure industrial growth and use of local resources.

It has also put in place measures to increase business development services through provision of information on its website.

It is now holding investment forums in regions outside major towns.

“We are also creating constituency industrial development centres as part of the economic stimulus programme, training entrepreneurs through district industrial development officers, and identifying resource endowment and development of project profiles at district levels,” he said.

Towards these, the ministry has partnered with several players including development partners.

The partnerships include the One Village One Product (OVOP) project being carried out in collaboration with the Japanese government, which aims at empowering communities in the country to achieve economic growth by making use of locally available resources.

The other is the Business Sector Programme Support being implemented in collaboration with the Danish Government.

Mr Keter said the ministry is in the process of finalising the requirements of the operationalisation of the Anti-Counterfeit Agency.

“We have set up the small-and-medium enterprises initiatives in partnership with other stakeholders to address issues of productivity, quality and competitiveness, standardisation and mass production on MSE products,” said Mr Keter.

Mr Keter was speaking at a Kisumu hotel on Wednesday during the provincial awards of the Jitihada Business Plan Competition.

It is being implemented within 12 months to assist current and emerging entrepreneurs overcome constraints faced by the micro-small and-medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector.