• Nineteen investors are keen on the Mai Mahiu SEZ
• Eleven of them have so far been licensed
Image: GEORGE MURAGE
An investor, Crystal Chillers and Frozen Foods, will in six months put a multi-million potato chilling plant at the Special Economic Zone in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha.
The Sh650 million plant, the third after Egypt and South Africa, will be processing one million kilogrammes of potatoes every month and is expected to address the market problem for farmers in Nakuru and Nyandarua.
According to company CEO Kihuyu Mungai, they target to process over five million kilogrammes of potatoes in the next five years.
The firm, he said, is working closely with Egerton University in research to help ensure farmers get the right seedlings for better yields.
Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony, Mungai said the chilled potatoes will have a shelf-life of 24 months, based on the technology to be used in processing.
“We shall be sourcing our potatoes from local farmers and we expect that the plant, which will employ over 350 people directly, will be ready in six months,” he said.
Welcoming the move, Nakuru governor Susan Kihika termed the move as a game-changer in the two counties which lead in potato production in the country.
Kihika noted that for years, farmers in potato growing regions have been manipulated by brokers, leading to losses despite the high cost of production.
In a speech read on her behalf, the governor noted that the county produces over 20,000 tonnes of potatoes annually in nine of the 11 sub-counties.
“It is my expectation that this factory will contribute towards the stabilisation of prices which range between Sh1,500 per bag during the glut season and Sh2,500 during low season,” she said.
Kihika added that the SEZ will change the fortunes of area residents and the county as more investors continue to invest in industries.
The national government projects the industrial park will create over 100,000 jobs in the medium to long term, which Kihika termed a win for the county.
“The investments will no doubt attract housing, eateries, transporters, banks, schools, hospitals and other related services,” she noted.
Naivasha MP Jane Kihara called for a liaison committee that would work with investors in the SEZ in addressing job and business opportunities.