Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga is seeking partnerships with companies to set up bases and promote investments in the county.
Some of the firms are set to announce their deals with the Homa Bay government during the three-day county's second international investment conference.
The firms will first exhibit their products before they are taken through various business opportunities available in Homa Bay.
The three-day conference to promote Homa Bay as a leading destination for investments is set for February 27-29.
Governor Wanga and some county officials have visited Thika Cloth Mills Limited and Capwell Industries in Kiambu county to learn how these two industries operate and whether the similar ones can be established in Homa Bay.
The governor has also met the management of Numerical Machining Complex that supports SME equipment maker and provider for processing edible oil.
She also hosted foreign envoys, including European Union Ambassador Henriette Geiger and US Ambassador Meg Whitman, and asked them to engage investors from the countries they represent to visit Homa Bay and develop the county.
“The pre-conference activities show that Homa Bay is ready for investment opportunities. There is immense potential in the agriculture sector to create wealth and improve residents’ livelihoods,” Wanga said.
Wanga, who spoke to journalists in her office, said they are focused on investment in the edible oil value chain. She said the aim is to establish the county as a prominent producer of edible oils and related by-products.
She said they want to cultivate a long-term partnership with agricultural industry stakeholders for maximum utilisation of such resources.
“Agriculture is a major driver of our economy and we look forward to multiple partnerships,” Wanga said.
The pre-investment conference meetings have been held in Nairobi and Mombasa, where the devolved unit presented some of the available opportunities for establishing businesses.
Some of the opportunities are in blue economy, housing, mother and child healthcare, palliative care for terminally ill and the elderly, and sports.
The county government is calling on entrepreneurs to set up firms in the county and exploit these business areas.
“We’re strategically located as a gateway to Kenya, favourable agro-climatic conditions and a steadily growing population. We believe that there is no better investment destination than Homa Bay,” Wanga said.
The county also listed cancer treatment and student housing, targeting Tom Mboya University, as other business ideas that entrepreneurs hould look at and possibly put their money into.
Other investment areas that the county has listed include Lake Victoria water transport, tourism at the lake and mining.
Homa Bay has more than 60 per cent of the lake water cover in Kenya and seven islands.
Some opportunities available at the lake are introduction of vessels for water transport.
Currently, marine transport in Nyanza is dominated by two companies, which has made water transport in the lake very expensive as the two firms set the prices.
“Investors are free to look into these and exploit the business opportunity and compete with the other companies,” the governor said.
Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga said the government will begin by restoring beaches to create an enabling environment for small-scale traders.
Ruma National Park has increased number of tourists visiting the park to at least 10,000 per month after Homa Bay held a conservation marathon last year.
“Such plans are also meant to attract tourists who will visit the lake,” Magwanga said.
Trade and Investment executive Polycarp Okombo said they have set aside 536 acres in Riwa, Karachuonyo, where it will establish an economic zone.
The land has been gazetted as an industrial park
It has different sections where investors will establish firms such as cottage industry and value addition factories.
“We expect retired military officers, who want to set up a golf course in the area, as other section will be used to host churches, utilities like sewage and power as well as a residential area,” Okombo said.
The Homa Bay government announced that it will give a tax holiday to investors who will establish firms at the park.
They will be charged after getting 100 per cent of their investment capital.