Eight County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) are expected to be operational by December, with Meru set to become the first county to have its facility commissioned later this month as the Government moves to revive manufacturing through agro-processing.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced the plan on Wednesday after a high-level meeting in Karen that focused on removing the delays that have held back the completion, commissioning and operationalisation of the parks.
Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Garissa, Wajir, Migori, Kisii and Busia will make up the first group of eight parks targeted for commissioning by December.
Kindiki said another 13 parks are expected to be commissioned by February or March next year, expanding the programme aimed at bringing processing and value addition closer to farmers and other producers across the country.
The parks will initially concentrate on selected agricultural products in each county. The approach is meant to allow counties to build strong and sustainable value chains around products with high local production before expanding into other areas.
“Wajir will be concentrating on camel milk, leather. Garissa will be concentrating on sunflower oil production,” Kindiki said.
He added: “Embu and Meru will start with macadamia as they grow to other value chains. Busia will be doing cassava starch production. Migori will be working on fish feed and rice paladation, while Kisii will be working on avocado as a start.”
Kindiki said raising agricultural production would be key to the success of the parks because the industries will depend on a steady supply of raw materials.
He said increased production would also create ready markets for farmers and livestock keepers while helping raise their incomes.
The Deputy President described the CAIPs as a major part of efforts to revive Kenya's manufacturing sector, which he said had “stagnated for a long time”.
“These CAIPs are going to offer the first step towards a new Kenya, an industrial Kenya,” he said.
The Government is also seeking to boost agricultural output through lower input costs. The price of subsidised fertiliser has been reduced from Sh2,500 to Sh2,000, while the cost of certified seeds has been cut by 50%.
Kindiki said the measures were aimed at encouraging farmers to produce more and ensuring agro-processing industries have enough raw materials to operate.
The Government is also preparing for heavy rains expected in the coming weeks, with authorities mapping areas at risk of flooding and mudslides.
Kindiki said evacuation plans were being prepared for areas likely to be affected, while temporary holding grounds were being identified for people who may need to leave their homes.
Food and other relief supplies are also being pre-positioned in areas that could become difficult to reach during the rains.
Counties have been directed to strengthen their own preparedness measures, including clearing blocked drainage systems to reduce the risk of flooding.
The CAIP programme is being implemented across all 47 counties under the Government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. It is intended to address long-standing challenges in manufacturing and industrialisation by moving the aggregation, processing and value addition of agricultural products closer to producers.
The facilities are also expected to help reduce post-harvest losses, create jobs, raise farmer incomes and give producers greater access to local and export markets.
Each county is expected to begin with value chains that match its agricultural production and economic potential before expanding the parks to handle other products.