Industrialisation CS Adan Mohamed reads riot act over leather park delay

Industrialization CS Adan Mohamed

The launch of Kenya’s first leather industrial park in Mavoko, Machakos County is facing delays.

Cabinet Secretary for Industrialisation and Enterprise Development Adan Mohamed, while inspecting the project yesterday, questioned the management of Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) on why simple tasks like clearing trees to pave roads and setting up temporary offices were taking too long.

The President is expected to officially launch the park in a month’s time.

EPZA is putting up the industrial park on a 500 acre piece of land which it has named Kenania Leather Industrial Park. However, Mr Mohamed rejected the tag ‘Kenania’ saying it sounds like Kenya and may confuse investors. He asked the branding team to change the name.

EPZA Chief Executive Fanuel Kidenda said the roads are to be opened up in three to four weeks time, and all the preparations will be in order before the President and 200 expected investors descend on the grounds for the official launch.

He explained that EPZA is working with Machakos County Government and the Kenya National Urban Roads Authority on the road network opening the leather park.

“The Chinese usually do these kind of preparations in a week. All I can see here is dug ground and mountains of soil. No investor will be encouraged by what I see,” Mr Mohamed said.

He was also amazed to learn that the project had no dump-site and the black cotton soil that was dug was transported to Athi River, a distance of almost 50 kilometres to be dumped. “We can’t tolerate this kind of wastage of money. You have to construct a dumpsite nearby,” Mohamed said. The CS also decried the lack of water, power and proper sewerage system at the park which he said will further dampen investor confidence.

Kidenda explained that EPZA was working with Kenya Power on ways to put up a power sub-station at the site which will also be used to pump water to the site.

The CS was alarmed that EPZA is currently involved in a court case in which manufactures along Mombasa Road who have enjoined themselves to the leather park’s sewerage system have gone to court seeking orders to stop EPZA from disconnecting them.

The leather park is divided into 200 plots to be occupied by investors who will put up tanneries and leather shops. The investment will amount to Sh10 billion and could generate 500,000 jobs. Mohamed said the park should be up and running in the next 18 months.