Industrial villages get Japan help

Kenya’s efforts at industrialisation will receive a boost following the roll-out of the one village-one product initiative. The Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) will provide the technical assistance for the plan.

And if things go as planned, rural areas will in the near future be bustling with cottage industries modelled on the one-village-one product model started in 1979 at Oita prefecture, a province in Japan by Dr Morihiko Hiramatsu.

The ‘village’ in Kenyan context is the district, and the initiative encourages specialisation from production to manufacturing for the local and international market.

It mainly emphasises principles of self-reliance, creativity and human resource management under the slogan think globally, act locally.”

The project, said Industrialisation permanent secretary, John Lonyangapuo, is one of those proposed in the ministry’s National Industrial Master Plan.

Strengthen search

It is expected to further fuel the search for the soul of Kenya’s industrial base, with other countries like India and China seeking to transfer their technology to prop up manufacturing in rural areas.

Mr Lonyangapuo last week said that the projects, which will eventually spread to all constituencies will start with pilot projects in eleven districts namely Nyeri North, Laikipia West, Yatta, Kisii, Nandi East, Bomet, Vihiga, West Pokot, Garissa, Isiolo and Kwale. Constituency Industrial Development Centres will be constructed in all the constituencies.

The government will allocate funds every financial year, starting with Sh50 million in 2011. The number of district industrial officers will be increased from 22 to over 100 in the coming financial year.

In May last year, the government through the Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) signed another agreement with the National Small Industries Corporation of India, which was intended to facilitate technology transfer to lift informal operators.

In the plan, the small and medium enterprises were to be linked up with their peers in India for market access and technology transfer. The help included assistance in formulation of industrial policy focusing on access to markets, credit and technology transfer.

The government has identified industrialisation as among the key drivers of Vision 2030 that aim to turn the country into a medium economy in 20 years. The matter has become more urgent following the post-election violence in 2008, and is seen as a way to stem the tide of restless of unemployed youth.

“We want to manufacture products found in these constituencies and the Sh2.5 million provided last year per constituency to construct CIDCs workshops is the beginning,” said Mr Lonyangapuo when he received 11 motor-cycles from JICA for the project last week.

Tenders had been finalised for construction of the workshops which will start before May, and the PS said ten constituencies have been provided with Sh1 million to start work. In the purview of the products targeted for value addition are aloe vera, honey, silk, cotton among others. This, he said will lead to specialisation in production and manufacturing in various local areas.

The initiative is expected to spur growth of industries and help in value addition, technology transfer, improve access to markets, utilise local raw materials, and create wealth and employment.

Kenya’s attempt at industrialisation has had many false starts, with the first serious attempt being the Export Promotion Zones which were anchored on the affirmative action by former American president, Bill Clinton through the African Growth and Opportunities Act. Agoa has been criticised by experts for over reliance on textile manufacturing.