State to speed up operationalisation of Dongo Kundu SEZ – Kindiki

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has reiterated the Kenya Kwanza administration’s commitment to operationalise the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mombasa.

According to the DP, Special Economic Zones are the game changers and agents of Kenya’s economic transformation.

He noted that these SEZs will do this by creating jobs for the people and boosting the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“Special Economic Zones hold the golden key for the revitalisation of value chains, industrialisation and import substitution,” Kindiki said.

He said that the Dongo Kundu SEZ has been in the works for a while but has not been completed due to a chain of issues, ranging from legal, policy and operational holdups.

The Deputy President insisted that the President William Ruto-led administration will make sure all these obstacles are removed to speed up the completion process.

“The Kenya Kwanza Administration is doing everything possible to unlock all constraints for the operationalization of Dongo Kundu SEZ.”

Kindiki spoke on Thursday during an inter-ministerial meeting to review the ongoing development at the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mombasa.

The meeting was held at the DP’s Karen residence in Nairobi.

During the roundtable meeting, the Deputy President, Cabinet and Principal Secretaries as well as Departmental heads reviewed the remaining issues.

Cabinet Secretaries present were Davies Chirchir (Roads and Transport) and Salim Mvurya (Acting CS, Investments, Trade and Industry), as well as Principal Secretaries; Dr. Juma Mukhwana (Industrialisation), Alfred K'Ombudo (Trade), Mohamed Daghar (Transport), Dr. Idris Salim Dakota (Cabinet Affairs) and Teresia Mbaika (Devolution).

The Solicitor General Shadrack Mose, Chief Executive Officers; Captain William Ruto (Kenya Ports Authority), Philip Mainga (Kenya Railways), John Mwenda (Kenya Investments Authority); Chairman, National Land Commission (NLC) Gershom Otachi and other senior officials were also present.

The Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is one of the components of the Mombasa Port Development Project (MPDP).

The SEZ seeks to expand the capacity of Mombasa Port and enhance logistics along the Northern Economic Corridor.