Embu County government to add value to bamboo

Embu County Government has partnered with a state agency and a Chinese firm for a bamboo value addition project.

Governor Martin Wambora said Kenya Water Tower Agency (KWTA) and Chinese investors have expressed interest in starting a factory that will produce 26 different products from bamboo trees.

The County Executive Member for Lands, Water, Environment and Natural resources Jamleck Muturi last week led the three stakeholders on a fact finding tour of the county ahead of signing a Memorandum of Understanding.

The partnership is good news to Embu farmers especially those neighbouring Irangi forest since the bamboo tree has been largely limited in use. Wambora said KWTA has promised to provide farmers with free bamboo seedlings.

He said the agency will donate two machines; one for making toothpicks and the other one for making briquettes. He said the county government has already identified a building where those machines will be installed.

“We want to add value to our bamboo trees and put it into many uses to benefit farmers and create jobs. We should not be importing toothpicks yet we have bamboo,” he said.

The governor saoid tehre are plans for investors conference on bamboo next month where interested parties will sign pacts to put bamboo into more uses.

Compiled by Anthony Gitonga and Joseph Muchiri