The government will spend Sh4.7 billion in the next financial year (FY 2023/2024) to establish county industrial parks in all counties countrywide.

Speaking while addressing members of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Principal Secretary, State Department of Industry, Dr. Juma Mukhwana said that the Ministry of Trade is at an advanced stage of rolling out county industrial parks to promote manufacturing.

“The sheds will be provided with common three-phase electricity, water, and effluent management, Internet, security, and common transport.

The parks will also be provided with an online portal through which they will sell their products locally and internationally,” he said.

County governments will also be supporting the project with an additional Sh4.7 billion, as each county is expected to contribute Sh250 million to match the national government funding.

Equity bank fund

The project will be implemented in two phases with 24 counties earmarked for phase one. The rest will be in phase two which begins in 2025.

Once the park are constructed, Equity Bank will give Sh250 billion to support the purchase of manufacturing equipment for industries willing to invest in the parks.

“Through a support project being implemented through the State Department for Industry dubbed “viwanda mashinani”, the government is also establishing a fund to give Micro, Small and Medium enterprises and young people equipment worth

Sh6 million each to commence manufacturing activities,” he added.

The fund will eventually be developed into an industrialization fund to support continuous improvement and support to manufacturing.