Counties with similar investment opportunities should collaborate when implementing cross cutting programmes and projects.
Speaking in Garissa during a one-day dissemination workshop on key investment opportunities developed by the ministry of planning, James Maina the Director for Macro-planning at the State Department for Planning said that when counties come together they would widen opportunities available for their people.
Maina said the Key Investments and Opportunities Booklet is an important tool in highlighting the economic opportunities in areas not covered by the Economic Mid-Term Plan 2015.
“As you are aware, the identified investments contained in the booklet will be implemented across all counties. It is for this reason that we are here today to ensure that all of us are aware of the available investment opportunities and the need for our collective effort in popularizing them,” Maina said.
“It offers investment opportunities via Public Private Partnerships (PPP), joint ventures with interested investors, business opportunities and areas of co-operation with development partners,” he added.
Maina said the national government appreciate the efforts counties have put in place to prepare and publicize county specific investment opportunities based on respective county integrated development plans.
The director singled out the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPPSET), development of stadia, gum Arabic and resins development and the development of an integrated meat factory as the potential areas for development in Garissa County.
He further said that youth should be empowered in policy making the government to realize economic development.
“For counties to truly realize its economic potential, young people must be empowered and given priority in policy making and programmes implementation,” he said.
The director said to ensure that investment opportunities are well disseminated, the State Department has initiated wide sharing of the Booklet.
“Apart from these county dissemination forums, the Booklet will be shared with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Kenyan Embassies, development partners, private sector, academic and research institutions and Community and Faith Based Organizations,” he said.
County Commissioner Mwangi Meru called for the county and national governments to co-operate and merge their synergies to maximize on the available economic opportunities.
Mwangi further said that there is a business potential in Garissa that remains untapped.
“Despite the unique challenges the security sector will continue playing its role to ensure that the environment remain conducive,” Mwangi noted.
“As we all know security is an enabler that ensures that all sectors operate within a conducive environment because environment is key in a achieving all this,” he added.
Mohamed Khalif said that the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down on implementation of projects reducing cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
“At the domestic level, local investors have also been negatively affected and slowed uptake of new investments. But Somali people who are known to be aggressive, all they need is an enabling environment and we are good to go,” Khalif said.
by Jacob Songok
