Kakamega County Government is ready to host over 2000 local and International Guests including investors at the Kakamega County International Investment Conference.
The Chief Executive Officer of Kakamega County Investment and Development Agency(KCIDA)Elizabeth Asichi disclosed that they have enough capacity to accommodate over 4000 visitors if they exceed the anticipated number.
The conference will be held at Masinde Muliro University from the 19th to the 22nd of next week, themed ‘Opening up Counties as the New Frontiers for Investment and Development’.
President William Ruto is expected to officially open the conference on the 20th of next week with other dignitaries expected to attend including the Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) Wamkele Mene.
The US Ambassador to Kenya Margaret Whitman is also expected to attend the conference where she will speak on the economic empowerment of women.
“We are having a lot of investors coming including government representatives, foreign mission representatives, development partners, and Chief Executive Officers(CEOs) of local and international companies who have registered participation. We have bilateral and multilateral institutions, local Micro Small, and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) of Kakamega participating,” she disclosed.
Asichi noted that the county government will use the opportunity to woo investors to support development initiatives to transform the county which has vast potential.
She noted that they are keen to get investors to complete, equip, and operationalize the 750-bed capacity Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital which is currently at 85% progress and once complete will boost medical tourism.
She also noted the potential of investment in the Kakamega Forest by establishing cable cars, it being the only tropical rainforest in Kenya and the Second one in Africa after Congo Forest.
“Tuesday will be an Ecotourism day. We will be having an ecotourism Safari around Kakamega for visitors to appreciate nature,” she added.
She thanked the National government for supporting the completion of Bukhungu Stadium which will open up more investment opportunities in the hospitality industry and create jobs for locals.
“By having the hospital operational and Bukhungu stadium which has now received funding from the national government to host the upcoming 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) and probably African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2O27). We are going to have a transformation of this country to something that people will not imagine. We expect investors to put up hotels in Kakamega, Star Rated hotels,” she added
Asichi asked residents of Kakamega to take advantage of the conference to learn, exchange ideas, network, and even sell their unique products to international guests as she noted that there will be more discussions and interactions from the Kenya Diaspora Alliance.
By George Kaiga
