World Bank to set up 295-acre model agri-business park to boost horticultural farming

PHOTO | FILE Nyeri County governor Nderitu Gachagua (right) with his deputy Samuel Wamathai in a past function.

The Nyeri County government has set aside 295 acres of land at Naro Moru in Kieni East District for an agri-business park.

The park, a model of the Special Economic Zones concept, seeks to attract global investment, increase job creation, facilitate expansion of exports and increase productivity and technology transfer.

This was revealed on Thursday when a World Bank team visited Nyeri County to assess the investment climate.

The World Bank tour focused on business operations, information communication technology needs of the county, and investment opportunities in agri-business.

World Bank team leader Frank Twagira said they want to turn Nyeri County into a competitive business zone.

“The private sector is going to be the engine of development in this county,” he said.

The 295 acres are intended to be the site of an agri-business park, and discussions are underway with Export Processing Zone management.

The World Bank team included specialists in agri-business from the International Finance Corporation who later visited the site and are expected to come up with a framework under which the IFC and World Bank will be able to engage regularly with Nyeri County government.

INCREASE HORTICULTURAL OUTPUT

The land is owned by the Ministry of Livestock Development, and with the devolution of function of livestock development to the counties, Nyeri authorities are trying to obtain the title deed from the central government.

According to Nyeri County Deputy Governor Samuel Wamathai, they want to approach adjacent land owners with the aim of expanding the parcel to at least 1,000 acres.

The deputy governor said the county aims to increase productivity in horticulture to meet county, national and global demand for fresh horticultural produce, as this will translate into better land use and better health for all.

Nyeri County Chief of Staff Duncan Maina, added: “We have realised that to do value addition, a certain level of centralised infrastructure has to be in place, and this is what we have set out to do.”

Horticultural crops, mainly Irish, potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes, kale, bananas, onions, avocados and macadamia nuts, contribute over Sh3.5 billion to the county annually.

The county also want to take advantage of the projected Lamu-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lappset) corridor that is expected to open up vast areas of Kenya and stimulate economic and social development. The project will also create vital links with Ethiopia and South Sudan to increase trade in the region.

Also in the pipeline is the proposed Nyeri airport at Nyaribo that is expected to ease the transportation of goods and finished products.