Nyeri County to offer waivers to IT investors

Nyeri Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu (left) and Governor Mutahi Kahiga at a past function. [File, Standard]

Nyeri County will give waivers to investors in science and technology parks in an effort to make the county an ideal investment destination.

Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu on Friday said there were two investors who had already signed up to set up an industrial park in Nyeri.

She was accompanied by Industry Principal Secretary Betty Maina and Nyeri Town M.P Ngunjiri Wambugu during a visit to Dedan Kimathi University.

Ms Karugu appealed to the Treasury to expedite the process of offering concessions and tax exemptions as the investor had requested.

This, she said, would enable the investor start construction work at the university.

“One of those investors promised employment to 3,000 people and, therefore, qualifies for State concessions and tax exemptions as requested,” said Karugu.

Their careers

She said the county government will actualise the Constituencies Industrial Development Centres (CIDCs) so that they can be linked with Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVETs) and enable those graduating from schools to have springboards to launch their carriers.

Seven out of the eight CIDCs are complete and the government is committed to completing the remaining one in a couple of months, the county official said.

Karugu said Nyeri will organise people into groups so that they can leverage on the opportunities.

Ms Maina said several CIDCs are complete and ready for utilisation, adding the national government will equip them with machines bought under the economic stimulus programme.

The machines ought to be used by small and micro-enterprises.

“But because they are going to be set up as common manufacturing facilities, it’s also important that the county government and the different business associations work together to put in the framework for governance,” she said.