China to build multi-billion industrial park in Kenya

david nganga

July 6, 2017 1:06 PM

The Chinese government is set to kick off the construction of a $1.92 million industrial park in Kenya's Eldoret town.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to give China the go-ahead to begin the construction of multi-billion industrial park in Eldoret town.

The President will on Friday preside over the ground breaking ceremony of a $1.92 million industrial park by Guangdong New South Group Ltd at Plateau, within the Eldoret town vicinity.

The Kenyan government signed the multi-billion deal with the Chinese firm in Beijing in May after Africa Economic Zone (AEZ) was licensed to operate as a special economic zone.

This will be the first ever private special economic zone in Kenya with the project expected to be undertaken in three phases.

In Phase One of the project, dubbed AEZ Pearl River, Guangdong New South Group Ltd, will supervise the construction of an industrial park on 700 acres.

It will consist of various industries including agro-processing, energy, machinery, engineering, construction, electronic, ICT, chemical and pharmaceuticals.

Phase two will consist of a science and technology hub sitting on a 86 acres.

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It will have a technology park, a university, an IT hub and an incubator to support ICT graduates to develop and commercialize new technology. It will further consist of a convention centre, an administrative, residential, recreational and green zones.

The last phase, Olympia City, will comprise of recreational zone with a stadium and golf course as well as residential homes comprising of three and four bedroom units.

Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago welcomed the project saying that it will offer employment to locals and improve infrastructure in the next two years.

“The county government is determined to create an investment environment for investors in the region and Eldoret town will grow to a world-class economy with this special economic zone serving the country and east, and central Africa and the Horn of Africa,” said Mr Mandago.

Over 18 companies have already expressed interest in investing in the multi-billion project.

More Chinese firms are eyeing a piece of industrial (economic and trade) parks not just in Kenya but Africa as a whole. This can be seen from the billions of shillings pumped towards similar projects in countries like Ethiopia, Senegal, Zimbabwe and Morocco among others.

david nganga