The government will establish five more Export Processing Zones across the country, Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has revealed.
Kuria has said this is in line with the government’s plans to boost value addition of locally produced commodities.
The country has one EPZ in Athi River, Machakos county, that was established in 1990 under the EPZ Act with the mandate of promoting and facilitating export oriented investments, and to develop an enabling environment for such investments.
One such facility, Kuria said, will be established in Murang’a county at a cost of Sh1 billion.
It will be set up in the 1,200 acres of land that was ceded by Del Monte to the county government along the Kenol Thika highway.
The CS said the facility will create some 30,000 jobs and its establishment will start in July.
“Because we have seen the good work being done by Governor Irungu Kang’ata, one of these facilities will be set up in Murang’a county,” the CS said.
He spoke at Gatunyu market while gracing the launch of a subsidy programme for mango and dairy sectors.
The government will also establish industrial parks in 23 counties in partnership with county governments.
"The county government will contribute Sh250 million while the national government will give Sh250 million".
The CS further assured investors in the country that he will protect their businesses from destruction during the protests by Azimio La Umoja One Leader Alliance leader Raila Odinga every Monday and Tuesday.
But Kuria said the same way the government will protect big businesses is the way it will protect small businesses.
“It is my job to safeguard the interests of all Kenyans, whether rich or poor but I want to ask my brother Kindiki (Interior Cabinet Secretary) that the poor should be given a similar treatment”.
