KAKAMEGA INVESTMENT AGENCY BOARD MEMBERS TOLD TO FOCUS ON INDUSTRIALIZATION

Board members of Kakamega County Investment and Development Agency have been challenged to spearhead county efforts towards the revival of Mumias Sugar Company.

They have also been tasked to ensure that the existing and proposed County agri-based processing plants including the County dairy plant in Malava Sub county, the maize milling plant in Lugari and the tea processing factory in Shinyalu are up and running within three years.

Kakamega governor H.E. Hon. FCPA Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya also urged them to bring on board serious investors who have capacity to deliver the County’s industrialization promise to the residents of Kakamega.

The governor who was addressing the members in the presence of CECMs for Finance and Planning and Trade, Industrialization and Tourism, Geoffrey Omulayi and Kassim Were respectively, cautioned that they should be wary of some county leaders and individuals who are driven by selfish interests and greed to prevent the revival of Mumias Sugar Company at all costs.

“Some of them have no qualms selling the factory as a shell while greedily targetting the massive high value land measuring thousands of acres on which the factory is built,” he said.

Oparanya said the same selfish individuals had started spreading propaganda that County government officials had been compromised by the receiver manager of Mumias Sugar Company to kill the sugar miller.

In a detailed and candid presentation to the team, governor Oparanya took a swipe at the National Treasury which holds 20% shares at the firm on behalf of the national government for a lukewarm attitude to the latest woes of Mumias Sugar.

Saying that the agency will be empowered by the County government through budget allocation and structural support to ensure that it comes up with a clear roadmap to realize the County’s industrialization journey.

“For now interrogate the relevant legislative instruments, policies nd structure with a view to clearing any obstacles that may hinder our industrial development agenda,” the County boss emphasized.

Also present were the Board chairman, Prof. Nelson Wawire, chief officers Lawrence Omuhaka (Investments), Fanuel Wemali (Trade, Industrialization and Tourism), the Agency CEO madam Ebby Kavai and the County Attorney and Mr. Moses Lukale Sande