Kwale County Aggregation and Industrial Park Takes shape

The Senate Committee on Industry, Trade and Tourism has lauded progress on the construction of the Kwale County Aggregated and Industrial Park (CAIP), whose construction continues to gain momentum.
The Committee, led by Kwale Senator Boy Issa Juma, exuded confidence in the timely completion of the project, that is now at 50 percent completion, calling on the contractor to double the effort.
The CAIP, which is at 50 percent completion, is expected to accelerate agro-processing and value addition to cashew nuts, pepper, green grams, tomatoes and cassava among other crops that thrive in the area.
Senator Juma noted that the first phase of the Industrial Park’s warehouse was at 70 percent, with the aggregation centre and cold storage area lagging at 35 percent completion. The administration block remains undone.
"Kwale has made tremendous strides towards actualizing this dream. We want to put on notice other counties that have received national government funds and have little or no progress going on, that action will be taken against them” noted Senator Juma.
Works on the perimeter wall have also commenced with the contractor (Azaa Contraction Company Limited) promising to complete it in three weeks’ time.
The legislature noted that the close monitoring of the CAIP programme, among others, was necessary to ensure that public funds were put to proper use.

Uasin Gishu Senator, Jackson Mandago, regretted that the construction, which was meant to open opportunities, had not benefitted the locals more.
"We call on contractors across all CAIPS and other government projects to utilize residents for both skilled and non-skilled labour to avert resource hemorrhage,” added Sen. Mandago, noting that establishment of Technical Training Institutions in every constituency, was a way of curing the labour shortage that marred projects.
The Committees Vice Chair Essy Okenyuri called on political collaboration as a way of building good will for delivery.
State department for Industry’s Secretary Administration, Karanja Njora, who also hosted the team, noted that a change of the workplan had been done to ensure delivery of the project by June 30 as anticipated.
The residents lobbied for enhanced road network from Lunglunga to Mwangulu; internet connectivity; as well as connection to water; as a way of opening up the region to more opportunities.
 Also on the entourage was Industry’s Directors: Joseph Mbeva (Field Services); Roy Nyangena (Research); Joseph Irungu (ICT); and Kwale County CEC for Trade, Michael Mutua, among others.