Kisii County sets avenue to attract diaspora money

Kisii Governor James Ongwae (left) lifts bananas assisted by Senator Christopher Obure during the launch of the Kisii Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi on Sunday. [PHOTO: DAVID NJAAGA/STANDARD]

KISII: The county is opening its doors to local and international investors through a three-day summit scheduled for next month.

The summit dubbed ‘Kisii Entrepreneurship Summit 2016 (KES)’ will not only provide a platform to showcase the county’s investment opportunities but also allow for exchange of innovative ideas.

“As a county government, we are committed to actively pursuing interventions that will make Kisii the economic powerhouse of the region, thereby making it the destination of choice where trade and investment thrives,” said Governor James Ongwae.

The conference under the theme ‘Tapping the Trade and Investment Opportunities in Kisii County’ will primarily focus on agribusiness, trade, industrial infrastructure and health.

“We are targeting local and international investors. Our priority as a county government is the locals and residents living in the diaspora,” said Mr Ongawe.

“We are giving incentives to the investors that want to support the county government. However, land is a serious challenge. My government has embarked on land acquisition to guarantee multi-billion-shilling investments,” he said.

DOMESTIC INVESTORS

The meeting will provide a networking platform for domestic, regional and international investors to negotiate joint ventures and partnerships.

It will also seek to promote efficient exploration and utilisation of environmental and natural resources for sustainable development with special reference to Kisii soapstone.

Further, the conference will provide an environment to sign contractual engagements that will lead to direct investments in the county for the purposes of creating wealth and alleviating poverty.

Innovators and entrepreneurs from other counties will also be given an opportunity to showcase their investments and the winning teams will be awarded cash.

Ongwae noted that the county had identified its trade and investment potential adding that the only thing needed was active partnerships to unlock it potential.

“We pledge to offer full support in the belief that it is only through Public-Private Partnerships, value addition, trade and investments that we will achieve the objective of transforming Kisii into a middle-income economy,” he said.

Speaking at a Nairobi Hotel Sunday, during the media launch of the first KES to be held between Feb 24 and 26, the governor welcomed all players to help develop the county.

With a population of 1.3 million and another 600,000 in the national and international diaspora, the governor said diaspora remittances greatly contribute to county economy.