Trade CS Moses Kuria says the government has lined up several major investment projects in counties in the North Rift region to create more than 10,000 jobs.
Kuria says negotiations are going on with several donors who have agreed to establish firms that will create job opportunities in Eldoret and other parts of the region.
He said key donors had agreed to further invest in expansion of the Rivatex textile company to ensure effective functioning of all its chain of production from cotton farming to marketing its products locally and abroad.
“As a government, we are just few month in office but there are very good prospects for investment in our country. Some of the projects we have lined up are at an advanced stage,” Kuria said.
The CS who was speaking at PAG Church Kaptiel in Nandi county, said the government had secured land for establishment of an aggregation and industrial park at Tinderet, in the county where more than 3,000 jobs will be created for locals.
“We will have so many value addition firms and other companies which will spur economic growth in this county and also create jobs for our youth.”
He said the second largest Export Processing Zone (EPZ) will be established in Eldoret on 135 acres of land belonging to the ICDC in the town. The largest EPZ is at Athi River.
Kuria said a foreign investor has already started the process of setting up a major sox production firm in Eldoret which would also create thousands of jobs.
“We are shortly going to unveil the investor so that he starts work immediately and we know the project will be one of the biggest in the African region,” Kuria said.
The CS said President William Ruto’s commitment to improve the economy had the support of development partners including the World Bank and the IMF.
Kuria assured farmers in the region that the government had put in place measures to ensure they produce adequate food especially maize, so that the county remains food secure round the year.
Farmers who are gearing to harvest in the region however asked Kuria to ensure prices of maize will not drop to levels where they would incur losses.
The CS said the government was also working with several partners to have all maize produced by farmers this year bought at good prices for local and foreign markets.
“We also ask farmers to organise themselves through their co-operative societies and start to engage in value addition especially for maize so that they can earn more money,” he said.
