Even as millet farmers in Kisumu, Siaya, Homabay, Migori and other counties growing the crop prepare set to reap heavily as Kenya Breweries injects close to Sh15 billion in the construction of a state of the art modern brewery in Kisumu, area leaders have discouraged the government not to use the project for campaigning.
President Uhuru while signing the deal at Statehouse today announced that they had set an enabling environment for investments and over 110, 000 people will drive their livelihood out of the project through farm produce and jobs opportunities to be created for the locals.
The president said currently there were 30,000 farmers contracted by the brewer, a number he says would grow to 45,000 in the next five years with farmer income going up to about Sh6 Billion every year.
Homabay Senator Moses Kajwang has welcomed the move by KBL and the East Africa Breweries Limited setting up the project saying it was good for the people since there is a stalled brewery in the area.
Kajwang however criticized the president for seeking to take credit out of private developers’ projects arguing that the developers were not in any way looking at the government of the day but rather the returns they expected.
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“I am surprised that the president is launching a private venture, last week he went to launch a private hospital in Vihiga and I have seen him do several of such private projects,” said Senator Kajwang.
He said the investors were private and their decisions are informed by expected returns and market prospects as the bottom line for their return to Nyanza.
“For many years we have called out to them to reopen the plant they had in Kisumu and it is not the first time. We are happy they are coming back,” he added.
He said the president’s message had failed to sink during the launch of his party manifesto and that he was sneaking in an opportunity to retell the story by giving private developers a chance to announce investment plans at Statehouse.
