The Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha needs an effluent treatment plant, water, warehouses and access roads before it becomes fully operational.
According to budget estimates, the park requires Sh10 billion in the next two years to meet its projections even as the government slashed its development budget.
In a presentation the SEZ chief executive officer Kenneth Chelule said Sh3.5 billion is required for the construction of warehouses.
Another Sh2.7 billion is needed required for the wastewater and sewerage plant by 2025 when the park is expected to be fully operational.
Chelule laid out the requirements when the Parliamentary Committee on Trade visited the park.
“Currently there is zero-budget allocation for development in the 2022-23 financial years and thus the slow progress in the construction of the administration block,” he said.
Other major capital projects that are required include common effluent treatment plant (Sh2.7 billion), water reticulation (Sh198 million), internal roads (Sh273 million) and Sh200 million for the perimeter wall.
Chelule said vandalism targeting the perimeter fence is currently a major facing the park located along the Mai Mahiu-Narok road.
“The existing perimeter wall has been vandalised in the last couple of months leading to theft of construction materials and sand harvesting within the park,” he said.
He called for urgent erection of the stone perimeter wall and additional funding so that the stalled administration block is completed.
“Despite budget constraints, we are committed to addressing the pending issues of access roads, water and electricity in the next financial year,” he said.
The CEO further called for personnel fully dedicated to the Naivasha project for better and effective project management of the ground works.
“We are keen to accelerate development on these 1,000 acres with 75 percent of the land already occupied and also address all the challenges facing the investors,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the committee chairman Gakuya said that lack of funding from the State for the capital project had affected development works.
“We have noticed that development by the investors is very slow mainly due to lack of support from the government despite the high potential of job opportunities on this park,” he said.
He said the industrial park had the potential of employing more than 16,000 youths once complete.
Gakuya welcomed the proposal to offer affordable electricity to investors at the park.
