Raila Odinga leads delegation to China to woo potential county investors

Kenya: CORD leader Raila Odinga has left the country for China to source for business and investment opportunities.

Raila, who was accompanied by a delegation that includes eight governors, will be in China for eight days where he is expected to meet government officials as well as potential investors keen to bankroll development in the counties.

Discussions are expected to centre on partnerships for infrastructure, health projects and improved manufacturing for dairy, fish, sugarcane and cotton products.

Investment in Kenya’s oil, gas and mineral sectors will also dominate the delegation’s visit to China with county bosses on tour looking out for mineral extraction, processing and export partners.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE

A statement sent to newsrooms yesterday by ODM Director of Communication Phillip Etale said the tour’s overall objective is to match Chinese investment interests with opportunities available in the country with a view to tilting the balance of trade in favour of Kenya.

Governors who accompanied Raila include Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), Cornel Rasanga (Siaya), Ukur Yatani (Marsabit), ?‎Ahmed Abdullahi (Wajir), Amason Kingi (Kilifi), John Nyangarama (Nyamira) and Homa-bay’s Cyprian Awiti.

“The governors will seek investment partners in health especially as concerns hospital upgrades and medical supplies,” the statement said.

The Kenyan delegation is expected to hold meetings with China-Africa Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, World Ermines Chinese Business Associations, China Chamber of Commerce of Metals and Minerals and Chemicals Importers and Exporters.

It will also have a sitting with China Foreign Economic Corporation Centre for Agricultural Technology, China Overseas Agricultural Development Alliance, the Southern Fijian Chamber of Commerce, the International Charity Organisation and China-Africa Project Hope, among others.

The team will also hold discussions with various CEOs of multi-national Chinese Companies, including China Machinery Engineering Corporation, Hydro-China International Engineering Company and Power-China International Engineering Company.

This is expected to give governors a forum where they can market their counties and make sound partnership to propel their region’s economies.

 

Speaking to The Standard on phone just before he left for China, Mr Oparanya said he will be seeking investors in health, agriculture, technology and manufacturing sectors to boost his county’s economic growth.

 

“My key concern is to get investors in the manufacturing industry, dairy farming, tea processing, investment in tourism, hotel and ecology,” he said.

The governor also expressed keenness to meet with potential technology investors willing to impart and transfer technological skills to county residents.

TECHNOLOGY NEEDED

“I am currently holding discussions with investors to put up a tea factory in the county. There is need to incorporate technology in agri-business to maximise and improve our economy,” he said.

Major towns in counties like Kakamega lack proper sewerage systems and most residents are not connected to clean water supply, challenges Oparanya said he will be seeking to address.

“I want to get investors in sewerage and water sectors. Our sewerage system is old and was poorly laid out and this has been posing serious health challenges to our people,” he said.

Plans to have the first teaching and referral hospital in Kakamega are at an advanced stage and the governor said he will use the trip to woo investors who can help fund the project.

The planned hospital, which is also expected to serve as the region’s referral hospital, will have cancer dialysis machines and other state-of-the-art equipment capable of handling terminal illnesses

The visit to China aims to utilise counties' potential and resources as a trade-off for infrastructure and industry for accelerated development in those areas.