Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Thursday met the technical team that is working to address bottlenecks hindering the operationalisation of the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mombasa County.
During the meeting, Kindiki was briefed on the progress made so far after their initial meeting last week.
They also reviewed the national policy for expediting SEZs and export promotion.
Some of the key issues identified include Taxation, which according to the team has already been addressed by the National Treasury.
The process of compensating PAPs was also said to be slow as well as getting investors on board was also noted to be a big challenge.
In another meeting held on January 16, Kindiki reiterated the Kenya Kwanza administration’s commitment to operationalise the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone.
He insisted that the Special Economic Zones are game changers and agents of Kenya’s economic transformation.
“Special Economic Zones hold the golden key for the revitalisation of value chains, industrialisation and import substitution,” Kindiki said.
He noted that the Dongo Kundu SEZ had been in the works for a while but had not been completed due to a chain of issues, ranging from legal, policy and operational holdups, which would be addressed in no time.
The Special Economic Zone at Dongo Kundu was identified as one of the flagship projects of the Vision 2030.
The zone is being developed on a 3,000-acre land and will comprise a free port, industrial parks, free trade zones logistics and warehousing, energy project areas, tourism, and MICE among other developments.
The project was initially under the management of the Special
Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) but was transferred to Kenya Ports Authority.
Thursday’s meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretary (Roads
and Transport) Davis Chirchir, Principal Secretaries; Abubakar Hassan Abubakar
(Investments), Salim Dokota (Cabinet Affairs) and Teresia Mbaika (Devolution).
Chief Executive Officers; Capt. William Ruto (Kenya Ports
Authority - KPA), Humphrey Wattanga (Kenya Revenue Authority – KRA), John
Mwendwa (Kenya Investments Authority-KenInvest), Dr. Kenneth Chelule (Special
Economic Zones Authority – SEZA), Mamo Boru Mamo (National Environment
Management Authority - NEMA).
National Land Commission Chairman Gershom Otachi, Moses Kuria (Senior Advisor, Council of Advisors) and other senior officials were in attendance.
