• Jumbo AAA Holding SEZ Ltd, has finalised construction on 10 acres of land, setting it on the pathway to employ at least 180 people.
• CS Miano said the Naivasha SEZ is at a central location and near critical infrastructure such as the roads and the SGR railway line.
Image: SCREENSHOT
The government has licensed seven local and foreign companies that will pump Sh30 billion of investment into the Naivasha Special Economic Zones.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said the move will create job opportunities for over 3,000 Kenyans with the number anticipated to shoot to 100,000.
“We are very excited, our firstborn will be the Jumbo AA who will be doing auctions for vehicles, who will bring their businesses from Japan bringing it closer to the East African region,” she said.
"We are happy because when fully operationalised will create 100,000 jobs for Kenyans. It's going to improve exports and will reduce exports."
President William Ruto who graced the launch of the Naivasha EPZ Saturday said it will attract foreign direct investment, drive industrial growth and increase exports saying Kenya is currently importing too many items that can be manufactured locally.
The Head of State who commissioned a 90-megawatt Naivasha SEZ power sub-station pointed out that the trade area will enable Kenya to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area, African Growth and Opportunity Act and other markets.
CS Miano said the Naivasha SEZ is at a central location and near critical infrastructure such as the roads and the SGR railway line will ease transport logistics.
“We are very excited that six companies have been given certificates, they are already setting up. We have one that will be manufacturing electric vehicles, we have one that will do cold storage. We have a Logistics Company and one that will do transmission accessories,” she said.
The companies have each been allocated land on which they will set up their industries and establish the Naivasha SEZ as a beacon of industrial and economic progress, not just for Nakuru County but for Kenya as a whole.
Jumbo AAA Holding SEZ Ltd, has finalised construction on 10 acres of land, setting it on the pathway to employ at least 180 people.
The company which will utilise Sh238 million in investments will import and export motor vehicles, machinery, mechanical appliances, and other logistics services.
Jafro SEZ Ltd has been allocated one acre of land and the company is in the process of finalising its designs and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before licensing Enterprise.
The company which plans to spend Sh133 million is projected to create 54 employment opportunities in the management of cold storage facility and extraction of essence from flowers to manufacture perfumes.
Accurate Steel Mill SEZ Ltd, with an investment of Sh1.8 billion, has been allocated 10 acres and is in the process of finalising the application for an SEZ enterprise license and the designs.
The company which specialises in the manufacture of structural steel works-related items for low to high-voltage overhead line fittings and transmission lines, and civil and building construction is projected to create 54 job opportunities.
Africa Global Logistics (AGL) SEZ Kenya Limited was allocated 15 acres with an investment value of Sh3.3 billion to set up warehousing and inventory management services which is projected to employ 1,526 people.
TAD Motor SEZ Limited which is set to invest Sh1.5 billion has been allocated two acres to provide an array of warehousing and logistics solutions to clients mainly based in Europe.
The company is in the process of finalising its application for an SEZ enterprise license and the designs to set up a shot on a two-acre parcel of land and is projected to create 267 job opportunities.
Horizon Glass SEZ Ltd was allocated 10 acres to set up a plant to produce container glass bottles for beverages, food, and pharmaceutical industries, with capacities ranging from 150ml to 1000ml.
The company is in the process of finalising its application for an SEZ enterprise license and the designs in readiness for its Sh19.6 billion investment with a projection to employ at least 180 people.
CS Miano who described the launch of the Naivasha SEZ as momentous said the Ministry of Trade has partnered with the Ministry of Energy to ensure the Naivasha SEZ has an uninterrupted supply of power.
The Kenya Special Economic Zones Program was established by the Special Economic Zones Act of 2015 to promote, facilitate and attract foreign direct investment (FDI), and domestic direct investments.
It is also mandated to create employment opportunities and to develop and manage an enabling environment for investors through the development of integrated infrastructure facilities and the provision of incentives.