The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Embu chapter is likely to be the most vibrant going by the promises of various contestants as it warms up for Tuesday’s election.
During a debate session held at Prime Hotel in Embu on Monday night, the contestants for directors and chairmanship and their deputies promised to make the chamber vibrant and elevate it to a higher level.
Led by Johnston Nyaga alias Ngerish who is contesting Chairmanship and his deputy, Njiru Kanjogu, the team promised to establish a website as a source of information on business and marketing that would help the startup businesses.
“Once elected, I assure the business community that I will establish an incubation centre for startup business where they will not pay taxes for one year but will receive incentives as a way of boosting establishment of the startup businesses. Currently, out of 10 businesses that start in the area, six end up failing to pick within one year,” he noted.
His rival Engineer John Mate Mugo and his deputy Gerald Ireri if elected promised to link the business community with financial institutions for access to loans and advice.
“Apart from linking the business community to financial institutions, I will also organise frequent trainings and forums for them,” observed Mate.
Both parties promised to digitise the chambers if elected as members felt the local branch of KNCCI lags behind in digitization and technology application making it difficult to efficiently carry out their businesses.
They also target to increase membership which currently stands at 350 with only 321 active and other 500 who have not renewed their membership.
Whoever will win was challenged by members to ensure they institute a give back to the society programme through corporate social responsibility.
Nyaga is an ex-banker and is currently operating as an hotelier while Engineer Mate is a contractor and an actor.
Samuel Kanyi, the outgoing Chairman said Embu chapter is one of the chapters with highest number of contestants in the country and urged the aspirants to revive the enrolment to ensure the chapter has a voice in the county.
Kanyi said only those registered members would be eligible for voting adding that the national identity card would be the only document required for verifying the name in the register in the elections scheduled tomorrow at Talent Academy in Embu town.
In the debate were other 10 contestants for directors, half of whom were defending their positions.
By Kimani Tirus
