State to proceed with SEZ in Miwani

Principal Secretary for Public Service and Youth, Dr Francis Owino addressing Africa Public Service Day sensitisation workshop at Kenya School of Government.

The Government will proceed with its plan to build a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Muhoroni Constituency, despite criticism from a section of the locals. Principal Secretary for State Department for Industrialisation Dr Francis Owino disclosed that they will go ahead with the plan since the project is economically viable.

Middle-income county

“For us to transform Kisumu to move to a newly industrialised middle-income county we must enlighten people to embrace SEZ,” Owino said, adding that they will do a public sensitization in Miwani.

The PS said the SEZ is a highly regarded investment that will facilitate foreign direct investments to Kenya. “It will integrate local firms into global value chains, promote export-oriented growth and generate employment for thousands of our youth,” Owino said.

He termed the proposed SEZ as an important instrument for socio-economic development adding that it will be a game-changer in the quest for wealth creation. He told Weekend Business that the government plans to use the SEZs to kick-start industrial sectors and to promote technology transfer to local economies.

Early this year, a group of locals opposed to the establishment of the SEZ in their ancestral land protested when ODM Leader Raila Odinga and Cabinet Secretaries James Macharia and Peter Munya toured the area.

“We want to create peace and avoid setting SEZ on communal land. We will use our land to demonstrate the worth of the project to the people,” the PS explained.

Yesterday on Ramogi-FM, Raila reiterated the importance of SEZ in the creation of jobs and wealth in the distant future. He asked Kenyans to embrace the idea as it will transform their economic fortunes in the coming years.

He said there is no need for SGR to take goods to Kisumu from Mombasa then return empty. “Traders must provide goods in return,” he said.