This archive report was first published on 20 October 2019.
Published on October 20, 2019, the government's plan to establish a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Muhoroni Constituency has sparked controversy among locals. However, Principal Secretary for State Department for Industrialisation Dr Francis Owino has stated that the project is economically viable and will proceed as planned.
Dr Owino emphasized the importance of the SEZ in transforming Kisumu into a middle-income county. He noted that the project will facilitate foreign direct investments, integrate local firms into global value chains, promote export-oriented growth, and generate employment for thousands of youth.
The PS also highlighted the potential of the SEZ to promote technology transfer to local economies and kick-start industrial sectors. He assured that the government will conduct public sensitization in Miwani to educate locals about the benefits of the project.
Earlier this year, a group of locals opposed to the establishment of the SEZ in their ancestral land protested when ODM Leader Raila Odinga and Cabinet Secretaries James Macharia and Peter Munya toured the area. Dr Owino explained that the government will use the SEZ to create peace and avoid setting it on communal land.
Raila Odinga has reiterated the importance of SEZ in creating jobs and wealth in the distant future. He urged Kenyans to embrace the idea, stating that it will transform their economic fortunes in the coming years.
