Mombasa: The Garissa County government has extended an invitation to investors interested in the agro-processing sector to capitalize on the nearly complete Garissa County Aggregation Industrial Park (CAIP). At 90 percent completion, the park is poised to host processing plants that will enhance local agricultural production.
According to Kenya News Agency, the CAIP was launched in September 2023 as a collaborative initiative between the County and National Government. The park aims to mitigate post-harvest losses, bolster agro-processing, and facilitate improved market access for local producers. This development signifies a significant step toward industrial growth, value addition, job creation, enhanced farmer incomes, and economic strengthening in the region.
The facility comprises eight warehouses equipped with aggregation centers, cold storage rooms, and value-addition units, designed to support cooperatives and attract investors. Garissa County Chief Officer for Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Jael Ouma, urged investors during a multi-agency tour to engage with the project and ensure that the government’s investment yields fruitful results.
Ouma emphasized the project’s significance in job creation, revenue improvement, and uplifting local farmers’ livelihoods. She encouraged investors to focus on processing camel milk, camel milk powder, rice, and sunflower to retain value within the county, thus increasing incomes and creating youth employment.
Ouma stated, “The industrial park is very important for Garissa County, and actually, it is going to improve the economy of this county, and we expect our revenue to also go up. We thank so much the collaboration between the county and the national government to come up with this project.”
She further added, “The project is already at 90 percent and within three months, this project will be completed. We are calling on the investors and our locals to come onboard and take advantage of this industrial park. The Value chain that we are focusing on is mostly camel milk powder. Any investor who is interested in investing in camel milk, please show up so that this place can come to reality. The infrastructure is there, so let’s make use of it to help the community.”
The multi-agency team visiting the site included officials from the state department of Industrialization, the Government delivery unit, and officers from the Garissa county commissioner’s office.
