THE MACHAKOS INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE

In the wake of the devolved system of government in 2013, the County organised the inaugural Machakos International Investment Conference in 2013. This conference greatly attracted attention towards Machakos as the ideal investment hub and destination in the country. 
The strategic move to initiate the idea of the New Machakos City Project in the same year [2013] further demonstrated the potential of counties in initiating flagship projects that would be critical in industrial development.
Besides investment promotion in the industrial sector, the Machakos SME Summit held in 2019 gave impetus to the role of SMEs as key stakeholders in promoting wealth and employment creation in the countries.    
This roundtable presents yet another important milestone by Machakos to advance the discussion on industrial development, particularly 'revitalizing public-private sector partnerships in investment and industrial development for wealth and employment creation.'

My Ministry is cognisant of the policy interventions that the Machakos Government has implemented to support trade and investments and spur industrial development. 
The Machakos County Annual Development Plan has prioritized Food Security, Socio-economic Empowerment, and Infrastructure Development as the three pillars with a primary objective of transforming the social-economic livelihoods of Machakos residents to prosperity in line with your rallying call "Liu Mesani, Mbesa Muvuko" (food on the table, money in the pocket)
This is in line with the National Government Bottoms Up Economic and Transformation Agenda, championed by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya, 
Additionally, we are putting together interventions that will promote critical sectors, especially in the avocado, coffee, and cotton value chains. Machakos is one of the counties that has been identified as a key cluster in promoting these three value chains.
The Government of Kenya is also committed to facilitating economic growth and development by creating an enabling climate for trade and investment. This involves supporting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which comprise the backbone of our economy, through initiatives such as the recently launched Karibu Business Centres, which will provide comprehensive business registration and facilitate service. We look forward to partnering and collaborating with the County of Machakos to establish a Karibu Business Centre in this region.
My Ministry is also implementing the County Aggregation Industrial Parks (CAIPS) project, which will foster manufacturing, primarily through agro-processing and value addition. I want to find county-branded value-added products in our super-stores next year.
These centres will help entrepreneurs take advantage of different shared facilities and cultivate networks that will enrich and build manufacturing to the next level. 
I am excited to note that Machakos County is home to Kenya's largest Export Processing Zone in Athi River. We are putting concerted efforts into having the Kenya Leather Park and the Konza Technopolis flagship projects completed. The completion of the Leather Park will revitalize the leather value chain, while the Technopolis will attract investments in innovation development.
In conclusion, my Ministry is committed to continuing to work with counties like Machakos to initiate and develop sustainable programs that will foster market growth and revitalize key value chains, which are pivotal for industrial development.
I take this opportunity to wish you great deliberations and a prosperous Machakos County.