Kisumu cotton plant and NYS projects to be revived

The President has announced the planned revival of two factories in Kisumu and the suspended National Youth Service (NYS) projects.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, Sunday pledged the Government would revive the collapsed Kenya Breweries and Kisumu Cotton Mills (Kicomi) plants in the lakeside city.

Addressing residents at Obunga slum and Kondele on his way from Kisumu airport, President Kenyatta said NYS programmes that enlist youths for manual jobs will resume across the country because the corruption problems had been resolved.

“The projects will resume at the end of February in Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Nyeri and Mombasa before being rolled out in all the counties,” said Uhuru.

Calling on the Opposition to work with the Government, the President said concerted efforts would help the country achieve prosperity.

“Our brothers in the Opposition have been against the resumption of NYS projects and the recent registration of youth involved in the projects using the biometric technology. But this has helped us ensure that only genuine workers get paid through M-Pesa transactions,” the President said.

It is only through empowering the youth that Kenya will achieve socio-economic stability, he said. “NYS projects and the revival of Kenya Breweries and Kicomi industries here will ensure that people get employed. Farmers will get money after selling cotton and youth will no longer be involved in crime and drug abuse.”

“I am ready to work with all elected leaders to transform this country but let us do politics in a sober way. We may differ in our ideologies but the country needs us all,” said Uhuru adding that the Government had already renovated Rivatex in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

Later at Kanyakwar grounds where he inaugurated a Sh160 million Seventh Day Adventist West Kenya Union Conference headquarters, he called for a close relationship between the church and the State.

More collaboration

“That is why I ordered the Attorney General to suspend regulations gazetted to control religious organisations,” he said. “I know many religious organisations do good work. But we also know there are some crooked ones that con poor Kenyans. These are the ones we should identify and imprison because they are thieves.”

Host Governor Jack Ranguma thanked the President for reviving NYS and the collapsed industries but called for more collaboration between the national and county governments.

“We need to work together because all we do is geared towards serving wananchi. I request the President to intervene to see that the Kiboswa-Kondele road is finished. This and the Muhoroni-Mamboleo-Airport road are key to Kisumu’s growth,” Mr Ranguma said.

Governors Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay) and John Nyagarama (Nyamira) urged the President to visit their counties and initiate development projects.

Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura, his Kisumu West counterpart Olago Aluoch and Silvance Osele (Kasipul Kabondo) promised to work together with the Government to foster growth in the region.