Government Creates 14,000 Jobs in Kilifi County

By Julius Mwabonje

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The government has created 14,000 new jobs through industrialization in Kilifi County within the last three years, the state department investment, trade and industry principal secretary Abubakar Hassan has said.

Speaking during the launch of a dry fruit processing plant in Sabaki area, Magarini Subcounty in Kilifi County, the PS added that more than Ksh9 billion of investment had been witnessed there in the same period hence positioning the county as an investment hub in Kenya.

“If you look at the statistics, Kilifi is leading in the coastal region in terms of investment and if you look in the last 30 years we only had thirteen industries in this county with employment creation of 10,000 people but in three years we have more than 14,000 jobs,” he said during the launch of Milly Fruit Processing factory also attended by deputy British High Commissioner to Kenya Diana Dalton.

Governor Gideon Mung’aro said that his administration had set an accommodative environment for investors including incentives and seminars that have attracted exhibitors who eventually invest their projects in the area.

“When I came into office, I ensured that I set up an investment committee that will identify and meet existing and potential investors and sell them the opportunities available for investment in our county.”

According to county officials, more than 3,000 fruit farmers of mangoes, pineapples and coconut have been enrolled to supply their produce to the Milly Fruit Processing limited that will produce dry fruit for export located in Sabaki ward, Magarini Subcounty hence reducing post- harvest losses.

Sabaki ward member of County Assembly (MCA) Rose Baraka challenged the firm to also provide employment opportunities to local youth and women as one way of tackling unemployment in the area.

“We are seeing a lot of progress in Kilifi County and we thank Governor Gideon Mung’aro for creating an enabling environment for investment and this factory here is going to create employment to many people,” she said.

Kilifi County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Trade Raymond Ngala said that the County was progressing well in terms of investments and that it was now competing with Nairobi and other industrial towns in the country.

“It is the interest of Governor Mung’aro to develop industries that will transform value chains in Kilifi and we have very many factories coming in here and all these are going to turn around the fortunes of our people,” he said.

The CECM added that the economic revolution of such processing firms will uplift the economic status of residents and also lead to increased revenue to the county government.

Ms Dalton said that his country will continue supporting businesses through Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) program and UK government through the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Kenya to create jobs and fight poverty.