India's Top infrastructure
financier - IL&FS- visits Kitui
Governor Kaluki Ngilu’s trip to India today triggered action in Kitui when one of the world’s leading institutions infrastructure financing -Infrastructure Leasing & Finance Services Ltd (IL&FS) toured the county.
A team led by IL&FS Africa Coordinator Dr Neelan Shamar and a textile expert Mr V Kunaar said the visit had been inspired by Mrs. Ngilu’s visit to India and added their organization was keen to build partnerships with governments the world over so as to create jobs and wealth for mankind.
Mrs. Ngilu was invited to India to attend the International Pulses Conference following the successful launch of the Ndengu Revolution in Kitui that led to the production of approximately 15,000 metric tonns of green gram, this biggest harvest ever in Kitui history.
IL&FS was incorporated in 1987, initially promoted by the Central Bank of India (CBI), Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) and Unit Trust of India (UTI). Over the years, the Company has widened its shareholding and inducted institutional shareholders including State Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India, ORIX Corporation Japan, and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
Today, IL&FS is one of the India's leading infrastructure development and finance companies in India with its central mandate being to catalyze the development of innovative world-class infrastructure in the country and beyond. For over 25 years, the Company has focused on commercializing infrastructure projects and creating value-added financial services to become a proactive partner in India’s growth story.
Using a Cluster based skills development approach, the Company has, over the last 5 years trained and placed into various industries well over 800,000 youth in diverse Industries throughout India; while in Africa, currently, the Company has operations in six(6) African Countries with its coordinating office in Africa being based in Nairobi.
In Kenya, the Company has established a cluster based dairy factory in Nakuru and is also helping a number of Indian Companies producing textiles in EPZ- in Athi River, Ruaraka and Mombasa for the USA Market, under the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA)
Widely acknowledged as the pioneer of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in India, the IL&FS Group has, through a variety of projects, benchmarked the private sector’s role in and commitment towards infrastructure development in India.
The team was received by top Government officials led by Deputy Governor Dr Wathe Nzau, Lands Infrastructure, Housing Urban Development Minister Jacob Kakundi, his trade counterpart Mr Philip Mumo and the Agriculture Minister- Emanuel Kisangau.
Others on the entourage were Dr. Temi Mutia, the Value Chain Specialist in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Francis Kea, the Acting CO- Trade, Cooperatives and Investment, Dr. Kithuka of Livestock, Mr. Murathe, the Crop Officer and Mr. Nzelu a Trade Officer.
Dr Wathe welcomed the team to Kitui and said it was the desire of Governor Ngilu and her Government to partner with world class institutions for win-win results, and especially for the benefit of the people of Kitui County.
Mr. Mumo and Eng. Kakundi took the visitors on a tour of various places including Kanyoonyoo area, the proposed site for Kitui Special Economic Zone, Kabati Livestock Market, Kabati abattoir, Syongila Vocational Training Centre and the Kitui Ginnery.
At Syongila, the team visited one of the classrooms with Dr Sharmar expressing surprise that while the Centre trains dress makers for two years, similar schools in India train them for only 45 days!
Speaking at various stops, Engineer Kakundi said Kitui County plans to mobilize human resources through training so that they become producers of quality goods and services for Kitui people and possibly beyond. “We plan to make them producers and not merely consumers of goods produced elsewhere by other people”, the Minister said.
Mr Mumo, who also accompanied Governor Ngilu on the Indian visit, said his ministry was keen on creating industries to make Kitui absorb its youth into the wealth creation network, especially along the Textile, Leather and Agro-processing Value Chains.
