Kirinyaga County has officially begun the process of onboarding investors interested in establishing industries at the Sagana Industrial Park as preparations intensify ahead of the facility’s commissioning.
Representatives from 13 companies, alongside officials from the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), toured the industrial park on Thursday as discussions on investment opportunities and operational procedures gathered momentum.
Investor Registration Process Underway
Kirinyaga County Executive Committee Member for Cooperatives, Trade, Tourism, Marketing, Industrialization and Enterprise Development Calbert Njeru said the county was optimistic the investor onboarding exercise would be finalised by the end of June.
“We are making steady progress with investor onboarding after several companies expressed interest in setting up operations at Sagana Industrial Park,” Njeru said.
He added that officials from EPZA were guiding investors through the requirements needed before they begin operations at the facility.
Infrastructure Works Almost Complete
According to county officials, construction and infrastructure development at the industrial park is now nearing completion, with most key installations already in place.
Njeru said road works within the facility are expected to begin soon after a contractor was awarded the tender, while electricity has already been connected to the site.
He also noted that the county government had committed resources toward ensuring a reliable water supply for industries expected to operate at the park.
Waiguru Says Project Will Transform Economy
Governor Anne Waiguru said both the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) and Export Processing Zone facilities are now about 90 percent complete.
She revealed that construction of eight warehouses — including cold rooms, aggregation centres and value-addition facilities — had already been completed.
“Everyone can now see the transformation taking place at the industrial park. This is a major economic project that will change the region significantly,” Waiguru said.
The governor explained that the facility, located within the Sagana Agro-Industrial City Special Economic Zone, is expected to create thousands of employment opportunities while expanding markets for local farmers.
Thousands of Jobs Expected
Waiguru projected that more than 10,000 young people would secure direct employment once industries begin operations, while over 100,000 others are expected to benefit indirectly through supply chains and related business activities.
She said the industrial park would help connect agricultural production to processing and manufacturing, boosting incomes for farmers across Kirinyaga and neighbouring counties.
“The goal is to attract agro-processing industries that will create a ready market for farm produce while also opening opportunities in logistics, packaging, storage and other support services,” she added.
EPZA Highlights Sagana’s Strategic Advantage
EPZA Acting General Manager for Investment and Corporate Communication Moses Kipkebut confirmed that 13 investors from different sectors had already shown interest in setting up factories at the facility.
“We are working on onboarding investors quickly ahead of the official launch of the Sagana EPZ by President William Ruto,” Kipkebut said.
He noted that Sagana enjoys several advantages compared to other export processing zones in the country, including proximity to Nairobi, access to airports, improved infrastructure and availability of agricultural raw materials.
Kipkebut added that investors at the facility will also benefit from tax incentives offered under the EPZ programme.
