Ngilu woos Kenyans in
diaspora to invest in Kitui County
By Munyasya Musya
 |
| Governor Ngilu addresses a rally at Kitui Bus Park today |
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu today challenged Kenyans living in the diaspora to seek and explore the varied and vast business opportunities in Kitui County and invest in them.She said the County Government of Kitui has taken the necessary steps to provide conducive environment and the required infrastructure for investors wishing to put their money in the county.
The Governor who was speaking during the opening ceremony of Kitui Villa Hotel in Ngiini Village in the outskirts of Kitui town noted that Kenyans in diaspora remitted at least sh200 billion annually into the country which could be invested to change the economic wellbeing of people living in the counties.
She praised the hotel owner, reknown US based human rights crusader and scholar Professor Makau Mutua who hails from Kitui County for choosing to invest in the multimillion facility which is expected to create employment and stir up wealth creation in the county.
Ngilu said the new hotel investment fitted well with her 5-point development manifesto that was hinged on among other areas women and youth empowerment and wealth creation.
The Governor said the first ever massive bumper Ndengu harvest in Kitui County this year has enabled residents to be food self-reliant and break away from dependence on food aid popularly known as Mwolyo.
“We have produced a lot of Ndengu and nobody is going to wait and queue for mwolyo in chief’s camps. We are food secure for the first time and we don’t want to talk about mwolyo any more”, she said.
She said her government would help farmers to engage in value addition of ndengu and other local produce by packaging and marketing them as branded products in Kenya and beyond.
She said her government was seeking to attract investors in the solar sector so that all villages could access cheaper electricity for use in pumping water, irrigation projects and cottage industries in order to uplift incomes and welfare of people living in rural areas.
Noting that the livestock sector was a major endowment for Kitui County, Governor Ngilu said her government has purchased trucks to help livestock keepers and merchants to ferry their animals to and from markets.
She said the South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) was partnering with her government to explore and develop value addition initiatives such as leather processing and manufacture of leather products as well as garment making.
“Kitui County spends sh2 billion annually on purchase of uniforms and we want to lay mechanisms to tap on this sector and ensure all that money remains in the county by promoting garment making investments” said the Governor.
During the meeting attended by NASA leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka, Prof Makau Mutua was hailed for his patriotic commitment to democracy and human rights and a role model to the diaspora on investment in their motherland.
