Lanet area in Nakuru County has been selected as the suitable site for construction of the highly anticipated Airport, which is set to commence at the beginning of 2019.
Nakuru Governor, Lee Kinyanjui said his government was working closely with Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to ensure success of the capital project.
Kinyanjui said the airport will help in the transportation of fresh and perishable farm produce, including flowers abroad and tourists keen to visit various tourism destination centres in in the county.
He said the airport and also the planned industrial park in Naivasha will serve as some of the incentives that will attract investors in the area.
Speaking during Nakuru International Investment Conference (NIICO) at Naivasha, Kinyanjui expressed concern over the huge chunks of unused land in the county.
He said his government will engage large land owners to ensure that such lands were leased for farming noting that there was a ready market for avocado, pyrethrum and dairy products in China for the county to exploit.
He promised to work with private partners to increase employment opportunities and wealth for the county residents saying Nakuru County was third after Nairobi and Kiambu in terms of GDP.
Addressing the investors, the governor said his government was working closely with KenGen and GDC companies to produce cheap power to companies that will be located in the proposed Industrial Park.
Kinyanjui added that the extended SGR to Naivasha was a big plus for the investors in the county with the new US flights opening up a new market for flowers produced in Naivasha.
PS for Investment and Industry, Beth Maina who was the chief guest praised the planned industrial park noting that any industrial park constructed outside Nairobi would get 100 percent VAT exception in their machinery and production goods.
She said the government was keen on reviving the cotton sector and has pumped in sh4 billion to Rivatex plant in Eldoret to help increase sale of textile to the US market.
Maina explained that negotiations were at an advanced stage to make sure that goods produced in Kenya were exempted from tax in China as a way of promoting local industries.
She at the same time appealed to other trading counties to work with pharmaceutical companies and leather industries in the country to set up factories in the industrial parks for proper utilization of the park.
The leader of the majority in the county assembly, Stephen Karanja said the house will pass conducive by-laws that will help attract and benefit investors
Karanja added that the county had untapped potential mainly in agriculture, tourism and energy sectors that if well exploited will create revenue and job opportunities for the County.
By Esther Mwangi/Silas Mwiti
