HOMABAY COUNTY FLAGSHIP INVESTMENT PROJECTS UNDER SEZ

Riwa SEZ

Riwa SEZ in Homa Bay County aims at driving economic growth by stimulating economic activities and attracting investments. It incorporates Commercial, residential, hospitality and industrial investment opportunities. Among the areas of investment identified for Riwa SEZ include Agriculture and Livestock Development, Housing, Trade and Industry, Tourism, Forestry, Energy and Natural Resources, Water & Sanitation, Education & ICT, Governance, Administration and Communication . Siting on 532 acres of land touching the lake, 4kilometres from the tarmacked road, its industrial arm incorporates an Aggregation Park. The Aggregation Park, which is farmer-centric and export oriented, will ensure small scale farmers and producers contribute to aggregation, marketing and export of produce processed there. The SEZ will generate new business opportunities, create jobs and enhance overall economic prosperity. It will facilitate industrial diversification by attracting a range of industries and businesses. In addition, it will spur the development of industrial infrastructure. Its Aggregation Park will facilitate convenient establishment of business concerns across sectors and sizes. Projects under SEZ can be undertaken under PPP, Joint Venture, or Strategic Partnership.

Homa Bay Lake Front and Associated Amenities:

The County's blue economy sector is a key driver for economic transformation, and the longest beachline along Lake Victoria presents an opportunity to attract investments. The county has a plan to develop waterfronts to attract investment. Considerable progress has been made in partnership with Kenya Railways and Kenya Ports Authority in redeeming and putting in place plan to develop the waterfronts within the County. Investment opportunities that the waterfront will provide include watersports, leisure fishing, mariner, restaurants and accommodation facilities among others.

Pineapple/Multi-Fruit Processing Project

($690,000)

The decision to set up a pineapple processing plant was informed by the high potential of the crop in the Homabay County and surrounding counties such as Nyamira, Kisii and Migori counties. Homabay County alone currently produces more than 30,000 metric tons with 957Ha land currently under pineapple farming. Several research and feasibility studies have been carried out by research institutions such as ICDC and IFAD with the aid of KIRDI which culminated into development of a business plan and feasibility study which strongly recommended the setting up of this factory and the associated value chains.

The main reasons behind for this investment is to solve the post-harvest losses, marketing challenges, middlemen meddling, and value chain problems that has over the years been a major challenge to most pineapple farmer within Homabay and surrounding counties. Value addition to pineapple is expected to be raise pineapple and other fruits farmers’ income by 66% and therefore provide them with improved incomes for their farm produce. The processing of pineapple is expected to produce two by products i.e. pineapple juice and puree with size of processing plant required being capable of processing1,000,000 litres of juice in a year and 5,000 metric tons of puree in a year.

Leather Development Park ($10,000,000)

This is a project that will involve several activities in the hide, skin, leather and leather products value chain. It will involve construction of tanning parks and leather product processing and production parks and machinery parks to manufacture machinery used in the Leather Sector as well as integrated parks housing both tanneries and the product units. Upon completion, it will be expected to create 50,000 jobs directly and over 125,000 indirectly.

Given that 90% of Kenya’s leather export are unfinished wet blue leather. The leather industry is expected to create 100,000 jobs directly and over 200,000 jobs indirectly and with further processing of finished leather and leather goods will create an additional 35,000 jobs. Through creation of this employment opportunities, the county government of Homabay has identified is as a key industrial sector that can spur economic development within the County, create wealth for its populace and uplift the living standards for Homabay County residences. The only other available leather development park in Kenya is currently hosted in Athi River in Machakos county which is over 300 kilometers away for Homabay County which will therefore make this park as the only one of its kind within the Western Kenya region which comprises of 11 counties in Western Kenya, namely; Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Siaya, Vihiga, Busia, Kericho, Bomet and Kakamega.

Integrated Fish Processing Plant ($15,000,000)

The proposed project adopts a Total Project Approach which answers the need of those embarking on or diversifying into fish farming and complete processing cycle including packaging and export. The project is expected to have a big commercial value both to the investor and the people of Homa Bay County once completed and is operational.

Fish being highly perishable and sensitive food stuff to handle, needs a processing and packaging facility near the sources to assist in lowering the cost attributed to the final produce and prevent post-harvest wastages that occur as a result of transporting fresh fish over long distance which affect the quality of the final produce. Setting up a packaging and processing plant within the raw materials source will not only mitigate against such occurrences but will also create employment for residence of Homabay county, save costs for the investor and ensure proper utilization of the harvested fish stocks for the benefits of Homabay County residents, the investor and the final product users which are at the heart of Homabay County Government.

Cotton Textile Industrial Cluster ($ 207,000)

Clusters for this project consists of: cotton growing, ginning, textile industry and cottage industry. HBC has revived cotton growing, and cooperatives societies to support the growth and development of cotton growing within HBC. Currently the county produce, 1500 MT and with potential to increase its production capacity to 20,000 MT annually. Construction of 3000 MT capacity Ginnery will soon be commission, equipment procured, and land identified and therefore HBC is seeking for an Investors to forge partnership with in the completion of the ginnery and operation and management of ginnery processing, production and marketing of the processed products with capital injection of USD 207,000 required from the investor or investors. The main reason why HBC is seeking for investors in this sector is because of the role it plays which includes enabling citizens or residents access to clothes which is basic need, its strong linkage between manufacturing and agriculture in the farm-to-fashion value chain, and the sector ability to create gainful mass employment.

Animal Feeds Processing Plant

The production of quality and affordable animal feeds is an integral component in commercial livestock farming. Affordable feeds would make livestock products equally affordable. The raw materials available within the county for making animal feeds are; omena, soya beans, cassava, rice bran, maize and the required minerals that are stocked in the local agrovets. The demand for layers mash, chick mash, dairy meal has steadily been on the rise as most people today embrace farming as a business venture. It is also imperative to take into account that the increase in cage farming has equally created high demand for fish meal. Machinery is required that had capacity to process at least 9 tons of animal feed per hour.

Casava Processing Plant ($222,000)

Cassava Processing Plant is to be established on a 3 acres piece of land at Oluso Hills, Gem West Location, Rangwe Sub-County. The objective of the project is to enhance Cassava production, value addition, processing and marketing in order to improve the incomes of the cassava growing population in Homa Bay County. Cassava, Manihot esculanta crantz, is a perennial woody shrub with an edible root, which grows in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Cassava requires less labor than all other staple crops (21% in working days as compared to maize, yam and rice). Cassava is a major component of the diet and livelihood of 500 million people in more than 80 countries across Africa.

Cassava is an essential part of the diet of people in Kenya and Homabay County. It provides a sustainable source of livelihood for many farmers and is also the most important source of carbohydrates after maize. The development of the cassava value chain has not only ensured food security but has also helped rural populace to effectively mitigate climate change, provided a source of livelihood and income to its producers, processors, and traders through spurring industrialization and raising income for such persons apart from ensuring food security.

Coffee Milling Plant ($138,000)

There are 8 cooperative societies in Homa Bay County, currently pulping coffee and transporting to far distance millers. Plans are currently underway to bring the 8 cooperative societies into a union so that they can invest in a milling facility, with a Capital investment of around USD 138,000 being required to kick off the amalgamation of these societies into a giant coffee milling factory. 5 acres of government land is available for this project. Investors are required to partner with the cooperatives and Homa Bay County Government to implement the project.

Homa Bay Dairy Development ($10,000,000)

This is a project that will involve several activities in the dairy value chain. It will involve construction of dairy structures, production of fodder, and management of dairy animals & marketing of milk. It will create 50,000 jobs directly and over 125,000 indirectly. The project will cover 5 sub counties namely Kasipul, Kabondo Kasipul, Homa Bay, Ndhiwa & Rangwe and so it is expected to contribute to poverty reduction in the county and more specifically in the targeted sub counties.

Enhancing Maize and Millet Milling Capacity

The production of maize in Homa Bay has been on the rise over the years as more people venture in maize farming. Maize production in the year 2020 was 8293 Hectares resulting in production of 125,922 metric tons of maize. There was a steady increase in the year 2021 as 81558 hectares was under maize production resulting in 120,436metric tons of maize. Homabay county has a robust potential for both maize production and consumption, as maize is the main staple food in Homabay and in Kenya as a whole. Currently the consumption of maize in Homa bay stands at 98kgs per person per year within a population of 1,131,950 people. It is against this backdrop that the County Government conceived the idea of establishing Kigoto Maize Processing Plan which is currently operational, with a capacity of milling 30 tons of maize per day. However, its capacity needs to be enhanced to boost the current milling capacity to 10 tons per day and also introduce a line dedicated to milling of millet.