State to start manufacturing projects in rural areas

According to Mr Lonyangapuo, the drive for the creation of industrial centres in each constituency has failed.

The project was supposed to take off from the fourth quarter of last year, but a number of challenges and poor project design have stopped it altogether.

Buildings to house makers of various wares were to be constructed on two-acre pieces of land belonging to Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) in various towns.

However, it soon emerged that most of the earmarked plots had been grabbed and were the subject of court cases to determine their true ownership.

Industrial centres that have been built have not attracted the interest of investors to work in them.

“Some buildings were done haphazardly without proper design while others are incomplete,” Lonyangapuo said.

The project, estimated to cost about Sh3.5 million per constituency, was among several in the Sh22 billion economic stimulus package announced by the government in the current fiscal year.

The PS said that unlike the industrialisation centre programme, OVOP will focus on facilitating entrepreneurs.

That is, training them and helping them add value and market their products and access finance.

There are several initiatives by various ministries to develop entrepreneurship at the local level, including the ministry of youth and industrialization.

There appears to be a lack of co-ordination of the diverse projects targeting the same residents.