Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga  (pictured) has moved to allay fears that the region’s politics may take centre stage thus disrupting a three-day international investment conference slated for February 27 to 29 at Tom Mboya University grounds.

Wanga assured the attendees that it is all systems go for the second edition of the conference, adding that Homa Bay residents are peace-loving and resilient.

“With devolution coming on board, there has been a sense of people protecting their counties. Even with last year’s demonstrations, there is no day any investment has been touched in any way,” Wanga said during a press briefing yesterday.

During the conference, Wanga is angling to attract prospective investors to tap into the county’s unexploited potential in tourism, agriculture, blue economy and manufacturing and health sector.

In the agriculture sector, the governor tipped investors that there exist business opportunities in value addition for fish processing as well as in pineapple, sunflower, cotton and sweet potato produce. 

With fishing being the main economic activity of residents and with the county occupying 80 per cent of the Lake Victoria shoreline, Wanga revealed that the expansive water service has an annual fish production of 1.2 million tons with a potential manufacturing opportunity in processing fresh, chilled, frozen and canned fish products.