Eldoret now rises from the ashes

For a town that suffered greatly during post-election violence 10 years ago, the recent interest shown in Eldoret by leading firms keen to set up regional bases to serve the western and northern parts of Kenya has been a breath of fresh air.

The 2007/2008 poll chaos wreaked havoc in the town, with hundreds of residents killed and property worth millions of shillings destroyed following a disputed presidential election that sparked deadly protests across the country.

VIOLENCE

The town, in Uasin Gishu County, was the epicentre of the violence, which led to the deaths of at least 1,133 people and the displacement of over 600,000 countrywide.

Although its recovery has been slow, the recent moves by Safaricom, the country’s leading telecommunications firm, to set up its first call centre outside Nairobi in the town, and Toyota’s decision to build a Sh400 million multibrand facility have given the Eldoret a stamp of approval as it seeks to become a city as part of its recovery.

On Thursday last week, the giant motor vehicle company became the second firm in less than a month to spread its tentacles to the North Rift’s main town.

BUSINESS

The firm’s Kenya managing director, Mr Arvinder Reel, said they picked Eldoret because of its vibrancy and ease of doing business.

“As Toyota Kenya, we chose to set up the facility in Eldoret due to the county government’s move to provide an enabling environment to do business, the ease of doing business in the county, a vibrant business community, a host of banks/financial institutions, and good infrastructure, among other factors,” Mr Reel said during the groundbreaking ceremony.

The Sh450 million facility, to be completed in a year, sits on a four-acre parcel of land in Annex Estate, on the busy Eldoret-Nakuru highway. It will host several brands/franchises, including Hino, Suzuki, Yamaha, CASE IH, Mercedes, Jeep and Volkswagen.

READ: Eldoret town rises to become regional trade hub

It is the firm’s second biggest investment in the county, following the construction of Toyota Tsusho Fertiliser Africa Ltd in Ngeria, on the outskirts of the town. The plant produces an average of 150,000 tonnes of Baraka fertiliser annually, with a 50kg bag retailing at Sh2,800.

INFRASTRUCTURE

And towards the end of last month, Safaricom officially opened a new call centre in the town, with its top managers praising the town’s infrastructure and ease of doing business. Chief Customer Officer Sylvia Mulinge said the Sh900 million hub will create jobs for more than 800 people.

Ms Mulinge added that the facility will also enhance Safaricom’s efficiency in handling the more than 150,000 calls received daily, and help resolve customer queries much faster.

“We decided to come to Eldoret town because of the good infrastructure, including the roads and the airport, which will make it easy for us to do business,” said Ms Mulinge, adding that the company will recruit 300 interns from different local universities in Uasin Gishu.

The town is also gearing up for the first ever multibillion-shilling private special economic zone in the country, which is being built in Plateau, in the town’s metropolitan area.

SH200 BILLION

A perimeter wall has been erected around the 700-acre Pearl River Economic Zone and boreholes drilled, setting the stage for the establishment of the industrial park.

The Sh200 billion facility will accommodate more than 400 industries, more than 30 of which will be involved in agricultural production for export.

The Mediheal group of hospitals is also setting up a Sh650 million liver transplant facility in the town.

Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno said the county is striving to make it easier for investors to do business.