Wajir gets Sh400 million gums and resins factory

Residents from eight counties will benefit from a gums and resins factory that was commissioned on Saturday in Wajir.

The Sh400 million facility located in Lanbib in Wajir East aims to add value to gums and resins in the region.

The project was envisioned ten years ago with the intention of  harvesting and manufacturing raw materials and eventually harvest the distilled oils.

Speaking after officially commissioning the factory, East African Community & Regional Development CS Adan Mohamed said the factory is going to process gum resins and the other products that are predominantly found in counties in northern Kenya.

“The Gums and Resins Factory is a landmark project with the objective of providing the opportunity for value addition of the gums and resins, generate revenues, create employment and economically empower local communities living within the seven gums and resins producing counties of Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera and parts of Meru,” said Mohamed.

CS Aden urged the communities in the counties to take full advantage of the factory that cost Sh400 million.

Area MP Rashid Kassim said the facility will improve the economy of the region by creating jobs as well as improving economy of the pastoralist community.

“The manufacturing and the value addition that we are seeing here is going to make it significantly life changing opportunity for the people who are living here. We would like to appeal to our brothers and sisters who are engaged in this business to be aware of this facility. There will be collection points across the country but largely in northern Kenya where this products are available,” said Kassim.

Kassim said the  project comes as a great reprieve to not only the people of Lanbib and its environs but the entire region and country, since it will create employment and add value to the product exported to other countries.

He thanked the Ewaso Ngiro North Development Authority-who initiated it -  for their financial support in implementing the project.