Counties

Kakamega unveils Sh170m plan for village businesses

OPRANYA

Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Every village in Kakamega is set to specialise in producing items they are strong in under a plan unveiled by the county government to encourage growth of local business and boost incomes.

Known as the one-village-one-product programme, villages will be expected to diversify produce and focus so that they create demand for neighbours' products.

The county executive has allocated Sh70 million for the programme to boost business within its 12 sub-counties. Kakamega has also budgeted Sh100 million for setting up training centres where small scale traders would be trained, said Trade executive Kassim Were.

“We have set aside Sh100 million to train small-scale traders to identify possible trade ideas and come up with products they want to be promoted through value addition,” said Mr Were. These training centres will be established across all the 12 sub-counties.

He said the county would graduate from practising part-time business, to full-time operations and has developed and refurbished six markets while eight others are under construction, he said.

The county government has enacted the Kakamega County Trade and Markets Act, 2017 which has established market management committees to streamline operations of the markets.

Wycliffe Oparanya, the governor, said he will raise Kakamega County to become an investment and business hub, favouring industrialisation, trade and tourism.

“The development and refurbishment of markets is geared at ensuring traders operate under conducive environment and promote revenue generation within the county,” said Mr Oparanya.