Nyamira is among 14 counties in the Lake Region Economic Bloc expected to benefit from a railway line.
Other counties in the bloc include Siaya, Nyamira, Kisii, Homa Bay, Migori, Bomet, Nandi, Vihiga, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia and Kakamega.
The bloc has entered into a memorandum of engagement with the Indian Railway Corporation, which will implement the project.
Governor Amos Nyaribo on Sunday hosted a delegation of railway specialists and experts from India who are in the county for feasibility study of the project.
He said the railway line will ease transportation of products after an agro-industrial park is established in Sironga. The agro-industrial park is expected to nurture, transfer and commercialise various innovations and technologies to benefit Nyamira residents.
Procorp CEO Raju Gannavarapu, one of the experts from India, said the railway line and the agro-industrial park will change the lives of residents.
He said the railway line and the industrial park will create jobs for the youth in the county.
“Transport is key in every business. With the establishment of the industrial park, Nyamira will require reliable transport so that the processed goods will be reaching the market in good time,” Gannavarapu said.
During the Sunday meeting, some leaders from the bloc conducted a physical survey across Nyamira, Kericho, Bomet and Kisumu counties which are the main areas that will benefit from the railway project.
The delegation was headed by Lake Region Economic Bloc chief executive officer Victor Nyagaya and Nyaribo.
“Expansion of the railway transport in the lake region will enhance trade in the area. We are talking about more than 15 million people benefitting from the initiative and we are sure the bloc will be a model development zone,” Nyagaya said.
Also among the prospects is the introduction of cheaper power options, which the bloc says will be exploited by experts from India.
Gannavarapu said among the options is solar energy and hydropower.
“The only key challenge in production is the cost of power which is untenably high, especially here in Kenya. But with the energy model we will do here, the cost of production will be reduced by up to 50 per cent,” he said.
In April, a delegation of governors and officials from the economic bloc toured India for benchmarking.
Edited by A.N
