This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
On May 7, 2020, Kirinyaga County announced plans to build a Sh100 million tomato processing factory to support local farmers.
According to Governor Anne Waiguru, the factory will be constructed at Kangai village in Mwea Constituency, where tomatoes are grown on a large scale.
The project aims to address the issue of glut, which has led to hundreds of farmers suffering from post-harvest losses for decades.
"Farmers' produce goes to waste when there is a glut, and that is why we want this factory to be built to resolve this problem," Governor Waiguru said.
The factory will process tomatoes into juice, which will be sold at good prices to ensure that farmers get a profit.
Accompanied by former Mwea Member of Parliament Peter Gitau, Governor Waiguru emphasized that her county is among the leading tomato producers nationally and that the project will help farmers increase their incomes.
Additionally, Governor Waiguru announced that Sh45 million bursaries for needy secondary and college students had been released, demonstrating her government's commitment to ensuring that no student drops out of school due to lack of fees.
