A persistent demand since devolution came in, has been for the governors to create more jobs in the counties.
Often overlooked in these demands is the fact that mass job creation can only come from very close coordination between the national and county governments.
Narok Governor Samuel Tunai has all along emphasised the need for close collaboration among government ministries to create economic opportunities.
And now, his efforts are about to be fully vindicated.
Development economists across the world have opined that physical infrastructure is a requisite precondition for industrialisation and economic development. It is a fact that transport has been a key influencer of human civilisation since time immemorial: Cities and towns grew from transport corridors both at sea and inland.
The decision by the government to okay the construction of Phase II of the standard gauge railway, which is expected to pass through Narok and Kisumu, will certainly transform the economic fortunes of these counties.
Evidence shows there is a positive relationship between infrastructure investment and economic growth.
Narok county has been sitting on the cusp of investor opportunity, serving as an economic and tourism nerve center of the South Rift region.
A critical analysis of the investment opportunities in Narok will reveal huge untapped potential in agriculture and its value addition, energy and tourism.
Skeptics have in the past poured cold water on the economic viability of the multi-billion dollar infrastructure project. As an optimist and a resident of Narok, I beg to strongly differ.
You see, the SGR will not only open up the county and provide access to markets for our farmers and livestock herders, it will also significantly reduce the cost and time needed to access the region for passengers and freight from the Mombasa Port.
It will take you approximately 40 minutes from Nairobi to Narok. This means someone can be working in Nairobi and be in Narok in time to watch the evening news. I am alive to the allure the city of Nairobi holds but am equally alive to Kenyan’s innate desire and need of Kenyans to delight in spending their evening around a fireplace in the countryside, enjoying cool unpolluted air.
The opportunity for working in Nairobi and living in Narok is too big of a bargain to pass.
The expected population flight to Narok will necessitate investments in housing, among other social amenities, consequently improving the investment and economic fortunes of the county.
The county government is commitment to creating an environment that makes it easy for companies and investors to do business.
To complement the SGR, the county government will hasten the creation of industrial parks in Suswa.
The Geothermal Development Company is expected to develop geothermal fields at Suswa, which will offer affordable power to industries and manufacturers setting up in the area.
Transport and energy costs will no longer be the concern of any investor willing to set up in the county.
The tourism sector will reap big with the reduced time tourists will take to get to the Masai Mara.
The SGR will effectively put us in a much competitive advantage to the likes of Serengeti in Tanzania and the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
A well-performing and efficient transport network will lower the prices of household goods and allow cheap and efficient transport of goods.
This will invariably enable our farmers and the business community to run more cost-effective businesses as well as improve their competitive edge over other farmers in the region.