Firms get two-thirds of Naivasha port space

Ongoing construction at a section of Naivasha dry port, where trucks will wait for clearances. [File, Standard].

Manufacturers will occupy nearly two-thirds of the space available at the Naivasha Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

The Dry port’s space will also be allocated to the East African countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This is according to SEZ Authority’s impact assessment report for the Naivasha SEZ, lodged with the National Environment Management Authority.

The Naivasha SEZ, which has access to the Standard Gauge Railway and the Olkaria geothermal fields as among the key selling points, will have manufacturers occupying about 600 of the 1,000 acres set aside for the economic zone.

The four East African countries have been allocated 200 acres while the local Inland Container Depot has been allocated 150 acres. The balance will be used for wayleaves, green spaces and other ancillary functions.

 

Health centres

It will also have a logistics hub for small and medium enterprises eyeing the SEZ, as well as administration offices and common user facilities such as health centres.

The SEZ Authority estimates that over 30,000 people will be operating from the zone. Of these, 24,000 will be residents, making the mixed-use industrial park one of the major hubs outside Nairobi.

“The projected industrial development will attract human population through provision of labour and supply of goods and services, given that 60 per cent of the 1,000 acres will be allocated to industrial use,” said the authority in the Strategic Environmental Assessment report for the Naivasha SEZ master plan.

The Ministry of Industrialisation in July 2019 designated 1,000 acres as SEZ. The piece of land is 14 kilometres from Mai Mahiu along the Mai Mahiu-Narok road. The Ministry of Energy has already developed a special electricity tariff for the companies that will set up shop at the Naivasha SEZ.

A unit of power will cost Sh5 for the industries that will operate at the SEZ, which is cheaper than what small and medium consumers pay at Sh15 per unit.

Large commercial and industrial consumers are currently charged Sh10.10 per unit.