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Sh100m cotton ginnery set to be built in Lamu

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Governor Fahim Twaha. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The County Government of Lamu has initiated plans to construct a Sh100 million cotton ginnery in the region.

This comes as a huge boost to the more than 10,000 cotton farmers in the county who have for decades been complaining over the dwindling sector.

The cotton ginnery is set to be established at Sinambio Area with Sh20 million having been received to kick-start Phase 1 of the project.

Speaking at the Lamu County headquarters in Mokowe over the weekend, Governor Fahim Twaha said the ginnery will be “an important equation” in the county's long-term industrialisation agenda that seeks to improve cotton farming through mechanisation, value addition and marketing.

Mr Twaha said the Lamu cotton ginnery will be managed by the Lamu County Cotton Farmers Cooperative.

“As Lamu County Government, we’ve already given the Lamu Cotton Ginnery Sh20 million funding support, through the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP). The funds are intended for large infrastructure projects such as the cotton ginnery. As you’re aware, Lamu County produces the best Cotton in Kenya. Our agenda is to create an enabling environment for farmers to help them scale up to the next level of the cotton industry, which is ginning and garment production,” said Mr Twaha.

He said the county’s support will enable the cooperative to execute the first phase of the project.

"The project is guaranteed to receive Sh20 million every year for five years from the county, but we project an injection of more capital to speed up construction of the ginnery and other related components, " said Mr Twaha.

Once complete, the project will feature a three-gin ginnery with capacity to process 20,000 metric tonnes of cotton fibre annually from Lamu farmers, saving them from exploitative middle-men while increasing the sector's value addition.

Lamu County Cotton Farmer Cooperative Chairperson Joseph Migwi said actualisation of the Lamu Cotton ginnery project will be a huge milestone for farmers, 22 years after the project was conceived.

“We’re very close to breaking ground. The engineers have completed the land topography survey, the architectural drawings and bill of quantities (BQ), and are compiling a report which will pave way for vertical infrastructure construction,” said Mr Migwi.

Mr Njeri Warimu, a cotton farmer at Mpeketoni said the actualisation of the project will see a multiplier effect on not only the income streams of cotton farmers in the area but provide county wide opportunities.

The ginnery is a component of the proposed Lamu Cotton Industry Park, approximated to cost Sh700 million when done.

The industrial park will comprise other components including garment and fibre making.

Beyond cotton processing, the lint produced will help farmers target the local market with bandages, sanitary towels, towels and T-shirts which are majorly procured from foreign markets.