County to set up industrial park on vast cemetery land

Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi hands over PPEs to Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia for use in Engineer Level IV hospital. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Nyandarua County government has said the land set aside for the establishment of a cemetery will be turned into an industrial park.

Governor Francis Kimemia dismissed the planned construction of the Sh800 million cemetery on the 69-acre land in Magumu off the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

In 2017, the then Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu in a gazette notice said the property, dubbed Gates of Pearl, would have 35,000 graves carved out.

“Some people had proposed that part of the land in this county be turned into a private cemetery but we shall instead use it as an industrial park,” he said.

Speaking in Engineer town, Kinangop, Mr Kimemia said the county government was keen to increase potato production which currently stood at 30 per cent.

He said farmers were producing 550 metric tonnes of potatoes every year despite the potential to produce more with the right support.

“We have embarked on the process of constructing five cold stores to preserve our potatoes which have the capability of fetching more than Sh8 billion every year,” he said.

At the same time, the governor said the county had already acquired 330 isolation beds.

“So far, we have two positive cases which were reported after the coronavirus lockdown was lifted and we have managed to trace 14 contact persons,” he said.

Governor Kimemia added that Sh462 million will be used to upgrade health facilities.