Kindiki assures counties of Sh3bn for industrial parks projects

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has assured 13 counties of Sh3.25 billion for the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) programme, which is also meant to accelerate attainment of the country's new economic plan for 2060.

Speaking while chairing the 30th Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) ordinary session at his official residence in Karen, Prof Kindiki said the money will be factored into the Kenya Kwanza administration's last budget next year.

"The State Department will budget for the 13 counties during the supplementary and in the next financial year," Prof Kindiki said during the meeting with the State Department for Industry and the governors.

The 13 counties include Bomet, Elgeyo Marakwet, Isiolo, Kisumu, Lamu, Makueni, Mandera, Nairobi, Samburu, Tana River, Tharaka Nithi, Turkana and West Pokot.

"As we look for a vision of Kenya beyond 2030, CAIPs are the centre of the realisation of the vision. They are the first step to industrialisation. If we want to create an industrialised nation, CAIPs are crucial in value addition and aggregation," Prof Kindiki said.

"I'm happy to note that, despite the fiscal constraints we are facing as a country, the National Treasury disbursed all the amounts due to county governments as part of the equitable share by the close of the financial year," he added.

Prof Kindiki also pointed out that the government is accelerating the finalisation of the construction and operationalisation of the first eight county industrial parks, in Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Busia, Migori, Garissa and Wajir. He said the raw materials for value addition have been mobilised and that the private sector investor and operator framework is being finalised.

The government has touted CAIPs as the crucial link between the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, noting that they would address input costs and quality for farmers and provide them with working capital to achieve much-needed value addition.