This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
Naivasha, a town in Nakuru County, is set to experience a resurgence in manufacturing activity after a multinational animal feeds maker, Maxim Agri International, announced plans to establish a factory at the Oserian Two Lakes Industrial Park.
According to Governor Lee Kinyanjui, the agreement between Maxim Agri International and Oserian Development Company is a significant step towards boosting the county's industrial growth. The Oserian Two Lakes Industrial Park, which spans 750 acres of land, has facilities that include a flower business zone, real estate, agro-processing industries, and related support infrastructure.
Maxim Agri International's General Manager, Muhammad Salman, stated that the company aims to start operations in January 2021 and will directly employ over 200 people. The factory will also be involved in genetic modification, cow comfort products, and farm equipment aimed at improving breeds and production.
Salman noted that the company's ultimate aim is to create about 30,000 indirect jobs through the production and value addition chain. The establishment of the factory is expected to improve the productivity of the beef, maize, poultry, and pig subsectors.
On September 16, 2019, the governor said that the Nakuru International Investment Conference (NIICO) held last year has started bearing fruits with more companies expressing interest in setting up factories in the County. He also invited investors to take advantage of the 1,000 acres of land in satellite along the Mai Mahiu-Suswa Road that has been gazetted as an industrial zone.
The county is experiencing an influx of mega industries with multinationals as well as government investing billions of shillings to set up manufacturing plants mostly in Naivasha, Gilgil, and Rongai and Njoro Sub counties. A recent survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics revealed that Nakuru is the second biggest economy after Nairobi, ahead of bigger cities of Mombasa and Kisumu.
