More help for PanPaper

It is great that Pan African Paper Mills is back in action, with President Kibaki personally pressing the switch to get the machines running.

But at the same time, it is sad that revival of such a vital industry had to be reduced to a bit part in the referendum campaigns.

PanPaper is an industry vital to Webuye Town and much of the surrounding area.

It is also one of the most important paper manufacturers in Kenya, so its closure had a devastating impact on the supply of local paper and also affected a large number of ancillary industries.

It is true that the government has had plans for PanPaper’s resuscitation since the previous management closed shop and went back to India.

However, there is always a danger when projects such as those are exploited for political reasons, because chances are high that they could be abandoned once the political exigency passes.

Therefore, we must remind that government that re-opening of PanPaper must be more than a political photo-op.

It must also be based on sound economic and business reasons rather than sentiment or the need to placate the community.