The Principal Secretary for Industrialization, Dr. Francis Owino has urged residents of Busia County to buy locally manufactured goods with a view to promote local industries.
Speaking during the launch of Teso North Constituency Industrial Development Centre on Friday, Dr. Owino said that Industrialization has to begin from the grassroots level.
“If we want to Industrialize as a country, we must promote local products,” he said, adding that the move will create employment for the local youth.
He stated that the government has established 158 Constituency Industrial Development Centres across the country with 37 of them being refurbished.
“Those that have been refurbished have also been issued with modern welding machines which can handle all sorts of metals,” he said, noting that similar machines can only be found in Tororo, Uganda and Rivatex.
He promised that the institution will soon be given a hydraulic press machine and another welding machine.
Dr. Owino at the same time said that the government will release Sh. 500,000 for refurbishing the facility in the next one month. “In addition, the government will also release another Sh. 2 million for construction of a welding shed at the facility,” he said.
The PS said that the facility will be used as a Regional Training Hub to offer practical training for students from Technical Training Institutions.
The Teso North MP, Oku Kaunya stated that the CDF office has established a garment factory at the Youth Empowerment Centre in Malaba, adding that the facility will create job opportunities for the 67 youth who were trained in fashion and design and 53 who trained in welding and fabrication.
“Already they are receiving tenders from schools,” Kaunya said, adding that the youth do not have to look for jobs in Nairobi.
Kaunya pointed out that a uniform outlet has already been established at Malaba town, urging all teachers to ensure that school uniforms are bought from the facility with a view to empower the youth.
By Salome Alwanda
