Raila urges Kilifi County to invest in value addition

NAIROBI, KENYA: Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called on Kilifi County government to form meaningful engagements locally and regionally in order to benefit from its natural resources.

He urged the county also to invest in value addition by building factories that will convert County’s mineral deposits into finished products for local and foreign markets.

“As we push for the debt owed to this region to be paid, we must take full advantage of the opportunities the county provides. We now need to move with speed and invest in value addition with regard to agricultural produce,” he said.

“Kilifi must now invest in processing and branding its produce, including cashew nuts, fish, coconut, pineapples, mangoes, chilies, milk and beef under the label of Produce of Malindi and prepare them for both domestic and international markets,” Raila said.

Speaking during the Kilifi investment Forum, Raila urged the Governor Amason Kingi led government to also strengthen more effective movement of products and information between buyers and sellers and promote access to markets.

He urged the government to focus on areas in which modest investment will have positive impact on people’s lives.