EPZA, Taita County sign MoU to set up export zone
Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja during a previous interview.
The Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Taita Taveta County government to set up a project in the area.
It is estimated that more than 10,000 jobs will be created on completion of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project, which is expected to attract international investors to exploit the vast untapped resources in the county.
The county government has already set aside 250 acres at Manga area, in Voi sub-county for the project that is aimed to transform the socio-economic status of the region.
The memorandum was signed on Wednesday at EPZA headquarters in Nairobi, between Governor Granton Samboja and acting EPZA Chief Executive Officer Henry Obino.
Mr Samboja assured the authority of the county government's commitment to ensure timely realisation of the project.
He said the project will provide an attractive investment opportunity for export-oriented business ventures for county products.
"Once established, the manufacturing sector will enhance value-addition of products that will be sourced locally," he said.
The governor said the county has a huge potential that can be harnessed for industrial investment, which will create employment to locals and boost the livelihoods of residents, and the economy of the region.
Mr Samboja, who was accompanied by several county government officials and a section of Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), also visited Nodor EPZ Ltd in Athi River, the largest sisal dartboard manufacturer in Africa.
Taita Taveta County is a major source of sisal for the company. The county hosts expansive sisal estates in Voi, Mwatate and Taveta.
Governor Samboja announced that already an investor, Royal Garment Industries EPZ Limited has expressed interest to invest in garment industry in the county.
He said once the garment factory is established, it will offer employment for more than 2,000 people.
"We are planning to revive cotton farming in the county to supply the garment industry once it is established," he said.
Mr Obino said they are fast-tracking the project since it is part of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four Agenda.
"The impact of the manufacturing industry to the economy is immense and that is why the President is keen to ensure that we establish an EPZ in Voi," he said.
EPZA has already accessed the site, which they said is suitable due to its accessibility to both road and railway, air and road transport network.
The site is also located along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, and near the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR. It is also near the Ikanga airstrip, which is still under construction.
"The Voi project will be a model for other EPZs in the country," Mr Obino said.
Plans to have in place the EPZ project have been marred by controversy, due to land wrangles between the county government, residents and a section of politicians in the county.
Recently, three MCAs were arrested over alleged incitement remarks to residents to invade the land.
The MCAs claimed that a group under Mghenyi Company was planning to grab the area to block the government’s project.
The three MCAs were released on a Sh30,000 cash bail but are yet to be arraigned in court.
Voi Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Daniel Nduti said investigations are ongoing before the MCAs are charged in court.
He said their file has been forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to establish the preferred charges against the politicians.
"They are not off the hook yet. They will soon be arraigned in court. We are following on this case closely because the land matter at Manga has become a security threat," he said.
A section of residents want the county government to involve them in establishment of the project.
The Manga residents claimed that the devolved unit has not involved them noting that the area in question is their ancestral land.
The residents moved to court to block the establishment of the project in the area.
The village's chairperson Sange Mwangima asked leaders to involve residents instead of forcing to establish the project in the area.
He said claims that a section of leaders under the Mghenyi group have grabbed a part of the land are false.
He said the secured 273 acres in 1996 and erected beacons just like other residents.
"The group owns the land and everybody knows that. Due to the incitement over 70 acres have been invaded by people from Sagalla, Mwatate and Kasigau," he said.
