Trade fair to attract 200 investors

The county will host an investment conference next week that will attract about 200 local and international investors.

Governor Cyprian Awiti said yesterday that more than 150 small, medium and large-scale private companies and Government agencies will exhibit their products and services during the two-day conference that opens on February 18, 2016.

The county expects to sign mega business deals with the private sector especially in tourism, low-cost housing, agriculture, education and health sectors.

“Homa Bay is ripe for new investments. We are opening our doors on February 18 and we will explain why Homa Bay is the next big thing in new businesses,” said Mr Awiti in a press statement.

He added: “We have the land, good infrastructure, a friendly investment policy and good security. We also have many incentives, including attractive tax holidays.”

The governor said high-ranking political leaders, diplomats and chief executives of top private companies have confirmed participation.

 Direct flights

The investment conference comes barely two weeks after the county’s Kabunde Airstrip was opened for direct flights from Nairobi.

Awiti said investors will sample business opportunities in fish processing, animal feeds processing, fruit and vegetable processing and other agricultural areas.

He said Homa Bay, which accounts of 65 per cent of fish production in Kenya, has been scouting for an investor to put up a fish-processing plant along the Lake Victoria beaches.

The county also hopes to attract investors in its fast growing horticultural sub-sector whose current production stands at 52,000 metric tonnes valued at Sh1.82 billion.

“The horticultural industry will create wealth and jobs. We have a potential to produce 127,000 metric tonnes of horticultural produce annually valued at Sh44.78 billion. We have the land and human resource,” said Awiti.

He added that his government will also be courting the visiting business people to put their money in the largely untapped tourism industry.

County Executive Member for Trade, Industrialisation, Investments and Co-operatives Peter Ogada, said investors would be taken on a tour of the county to sample existing business opportunities.