INVESTMENT PROJECTS UNDER STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS/JOINT VENTURES

Homa Bay County is committed to facilitating investments through strategic partnerships. The County acts as an investment enabler by playing the role of match making, linking potential investors to investment opportunities without being directly involved. Under joint ventures, the County partners with investors with the aim of getting equitable share of benefits that arise therefrom. It also invests in the business by provision both human and material capital that the venture may need.

Cage Fishing ($ 1,000,000 – $5,000,000)

Homabay County Government has identified promotion of Cage Fishing as a strategy of increasing fish production and reducing pressure on capture fish from the lake. There are several sites that have been identified as suitable for cage fishing in HBC. Two investors are currently engaged in cage fishing activities but the County Government of Homabay has identified other sites within the lake that are ideal for cage fishing and therefore require more investor to take partner with in this business venture with the required capital injection of the levels ranging between USD 1-5 million. There is increase in international demand for lake’s fish and in particular catches of leading commercial species – Nile perch and Nile tilapia –are now primarily caught for export market mainly in Europe and Asia with the lake currently struggling to keep up with the demand that has presented challenges to natural fish stock due to over-fishing and unregulated fishing activities that enables fishermen to catch fish stock that have not matured for harvesting. The county government of Homabay found it necessary to engage in cage fishing as a strategy for protecting fish and improving fish stocks within the lake while also regulating fishing activities to ensuring that fish produced by the lake keeps up with both local and international demand for fish from Lake Victoria.

Mechanization Of Rice Production($ 4,770,000)

Mechanization of rice production is an agricultural productivity improvement project that focuses on efficiency of the farming operations through increased access to farm machinery and mechanization as the key driver of productivity. Rice farming is labour intensive because it involves ploughing, planting, weeding, harvesting, threshing and transportation. Challenges include expensive and shortage of tools and appropriate equipment. Most farmers depend on rudimentary tools for their operations. To increase and stabilize productivity, modern farming tools are required and necessary for tilling, planting, weeding, threshing and drying. The main drivers of the project are: modernization of equipment, 50% cost reduction strategy and addressing post & pre- harvest inefficiencies in rice production. There exists irrigation infrastructure in Kimira, Oluch and Maugo Schemes. These constitute the project target area and beneficiaries will be the organized small-scale farmers.

The Sagla® Parks T/A Godmwanda Agro-Tourism Park Project ($3,493,000).

The main objective of this project is to pilot SAGLA (Sisal, Acacia, Grass, and Livestock Agro tourism) Park Technology for Sustainable Economic Production in Arid and Semi-Arid Tropics with reference to ‘Godmwanda’ or ‘Mountain of Deer’ in Homa Bay County, Kenya. The County Government of Homa Bay has signed a collaboration agreement with Egerton University for the Sustainable Development of “GodMwanda” Hills in West Karachuonyo Ward in Karachuonyo Sub-County. The Partnership seeks to pilot SAGLA (Sisal, Acacia, Grass, and Livestock Agro-tourism) Park Technology for Sustainable Economic Production in Arid and Semi-Arid Tropics - a case study of ‘Godmwanda’ Hills in Homa Bay County, Kenya. The innovation will be piloted at ‘Godmwanda’ or the ‘the mountain of deer’; an over 1000 acres of degraded terrain in Rachuonyo Sub-County, Homa Bay County, Kenya.

The project will entail construction of 9 units: office block, unit 1 (eggs), unit 2 (milk), unit 3 (honey and wax), unit 4 (glue), unit 5 (manure), unit 6 (tourism), unit 7 (meat/leather), and unit 8 (sisal). There will also be need for machines, motor vehicles, factories etc for the park.

When fully set, it is projected that SAGLA park will generate over USD 3 million, creating jobs and alleviating poverty. The park will also increase national forest cover by 2.5 million sisal plants, 100,000 acacia trees, and thousands of tons of indigenous grasses; thereby mitigating green-house effect, global warming, climate change, and soil erosion; in line with Kenya Vision 2030 and the strategic vision of CHG.

Horticultural Crops Production for Domestic And Export Market. ($43,206,000)

Horticultural crops Production for Domestic and Export Market is an agricultural productivity improvement project that seeks to ensure Homabay County achieves sustainable production of agricultural produce while promoting strategic market linkages, both local and international. It is aimed at contributing to poverty reduction through improved livelihoods. The project targets 5,400 households as direct beneficiaries and 400,000 households as indirect beneficiaries through engagement in fruits and vegetables value chain activities. The specific identified areas for the project implementation includes: Oluch scheme in Rangwe Sub County and Kimira scheme in Karachuonyo Sub County areas with a total arable land mass that can be put irrigation that measures 1,474 Ha. Under Kimira Oluch Smallholders Farm Improvement Project, Irrigation infrastructure has been set up. The project is proposed to adopt contract farming business model under which the investor supplies the farmers’ organization with seeds, fertilisers and other inputs, for distribution to farmers. Payments for inputs shall be deducted from the purchase price of the resultant harvest. It will consist of the following components, namely: (a) Agricultural Production and Productivity component; (b) Marketing and Market Linkages components and (c) Project Management and Support (PMS) component.

Homa Bay Airport Expansion: Construction of Check-In Terminal, Ablutions Block, Parking Bay And Restaurant.

The main objective of this project is to expand Homabay Airport through extension of the runway to 1.3 kilometers in length, and provision of social amenities which includes Construction of Check-in terminal, abolition block, parking bay and restaurant to provide ambiance and comfort to travellers using the airport. 60% of passengers Kisumu currently using Kisumu Airport hail from Homabay and neighboring counties and countries which consist of Migori, Nyamira, Kisii, and Tanzania respectively and therefore investing on this airport will generate revenue not only investors but equally to the county.

Accommodation Facilities, Simbi Nyaima

Simbi Nyaima in Luo means the “sunken village” which is an amazing volcanic lake in the Western Kenya in Karachuonyo area near Lake Victoria. So far, the department of Tourism through the county government of Homa Bay has embarked on developing the site to make it more attractive. Among the facilities under development include a perimeter fence, an office block and the construction of ablution facilities. It is a seasonal home for migrating flamingoes. Construction of suitable accommodation facilities through participation of private investors will boost the attraction immensely.

Ultra-Modern Shopping Complex Development

($15,000,000)

The County Government is seeking partnership with a property developer or a private sector investor to put up a shopping complex of international caliber in Homa Bay. The project is located in Homa Bay town at Nyalkinyi area along Homa Bay -Kisumu road. A 2.5 hectare land has been identified for that purpose.

Office/Commercial Block

A developer turns key for conventional delivery at competitive rate on private land. The developer will be responsible for securing and entitling the site, as well as for the design, financing and construction of the facility for a fixed price. The Developer will also bear the construction and construction financing risk. The County Government of Homa bay shall be instrumental in helping the developer with all pre-project implementation feasibility studies including identification of most suitable and preferable locations or sites for the project. The County Government of Homa Bay will also assist the Developer will all ground logistics and legal/regulatory procedures with the support of the relevant line Ministries of the National Government. 15 acres piece of land offered on a 45 years leasehold, subject to earlier or later termination upon payoff of bonds (amortized over 30 years following completion).

Homabay Feeds Industry ($ 3,450,000)

The project located at Oluch scheme in Rangwe and Kimira scheme in Karachuonyo, is designed to manufacture high quality industrial livestock feeds. Once complete, it will produce 100 x 70kg bags every hour. The County Government is seeking a management contract wit a private party.

Other Potential Investment Opportunities

Gor Mahia Sports Complex, Ndhiwa ($ 25,000,000).

Stadiums, Arenas and Ballparks can be magical shrines that capture the full range of human emotions. The proposed Gor Mahia Sports Complex will serve as an anchor to mixed use development that will be convenient and offer high tech and ultra-modern amenities such as High definition televisions, high-speed cameras with facilities such as premium seating and executive suites incorporate in it. These will play a key role in changing the overall experience of attending a live event and eventually contributing to revenue generation and more importantly in creating jobs, both directly and indirectly. The venue will also be marketed to host events such as the All Africa Games. The proposed venue for this project is a key touristic site in Homa Bay County as it also hosts the Magical and Mythical Gor Mahia Shrine, a cultural heritage for the Luo Community in Kenya, from which the Kenya’s Premier League Legend, Gor Mahia Football Club derives its name.

It is envisioned to provide a sports park that can be used all year-round with the ability of hosting more than 30,000 people in one place outside the busy City-based Raila Odinga Sports Stadia. This means that the stadium will serve as an anchor for neighborhoods and real estate developments that will in future lead to growth in retail chain stores, restaurants, entertainment and multi-family housing units, which occupy blocks behind the playing field. It will be a facility where the stadium and elements of the game would subtly blend-in with retail, dining, and entertainment spaces complemented with an opportunity to redeveloping the entire area.

These facilities will comprise of a 35,000 seating capacity stadium, a 10,000 capacity Convention Centre, a 200 bed hotel, a basketball court, an Olympic size swimming pool, and a parking garage for 1,600 , 500 capacity surface car park around the stadium , 10 bus parking spot and with at least two each, on-site, stand-by, Ambulances and Fire Engines, an additional car park facility that can accommodate 2,200 vehicles and spaces for bicycles and a Sky pedestrian bridge crossing over the Ndhiwa – Karungu Road and a water reservoir .

The Sports Complex Facility will feature a World Class Soccer and Rugby multipurpose pitch, surrounded by a full length (400M), 8 lane, running track and have a seating capacity of 35,000 with reserved VIP executive suits/sky boxes and specially reserved Disabled seating spaces with additional features of the Stadium including the following social amenities: Emergency Exits, Emergency Service Access, Fire Prevention facilities, Ticket boxes, Player and Match Official Dressing rooms, Toilets for the Disabled, Spectator canteens, Medical facilities and specially reserved Media/Press boxes. Modern digital broadcast screens and scoreboards, a public address system and installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV). A standard size, out-door, Basketball court (measuring 28.6m x 14m) and an Olympic sized Swimming pool (measuring 50m x 25m) will also be constructed adjacent to the Stadium. These facilities will feature their own shared grand stands, changing rooms and toilets.

Accommodation Facilities, Ruma National Park

Ruma National Park is the only terrestrial park in Kenya’s Nyanza province. Dubbed the ‘last Retreat of the Roan Antelope’ the park protects the only indigenous population of rare roan antelopes within Kenya. Among popular activities at the park include game viewing, bird watching, sightseeing, camping, and team building. With visits averaging over 7,300 people per year, it needs a variety of accommodation facilities to cater for its diverse visitors. Indeed, accommodation facilities will attract more visitors..

Homa Bay Construction Materials Extraction And Supplies Project ($1,000,000)

This project will deal in cut and dressed building stones, sand, ballast, hardcore, stone dust, bricks, stabilized soil blocks, roof tiles, vents, hollow blocks, interlocking blocks, granite slabs, etc. Homa Bay County is endowed with large deposits of building stones, sand, clay and granite stones, all of which are used in the construction of houses, roads, bridges and other permanent structures. Vast reserves of building stones of very high quality and a wide variety of colors are found in Karachuonyo and Mbita sub counties of Homa Bay. The deposits cover hundreds of square kilometers and lie 450 meters deep under the surface. According to experts, an area of 1.2 hectares contains about 2.7 million cubic meters of stones. Stone deposits in Homa Bay are so large they could supply the whole of Western Kenya and the neighboring countries of Uganda and Tanzania for very many years. Large quantities of red clay soil for making bricks, roofing tiles, and stabilized soil blocks are also available in large quantities in Rangwe, Karachuonyo and Ndhiwa. Bricks and soil blocks are cheaper than stones and hence preferred in internal wall partitions. Many parts of Karachuonyo, Kasipul sub counties are literally covered with sand, which is currently harvested and transported in large quantities outside Homa Bay.The project involves setting up a site where stones are cut, dressed, and crushed into ballast. The site may also be used to make clay-based products such as bricks, tiles and other decorative blocks. It may also be a site for the aggregation of sand for sale to agents and final users. Estimated Capital Outlay Requirement: The financing will be sourced through Private Sector Investment through Industrial and Manufacturing Project Development Financing .

Takawiri Tourist Lodge & Hotel (25,000,000)

Project Description: This will be World Class Five Star Tourist Lodge and Hotel at the serene Takawiri Island of Lake Victoria, Kenya in Homa Bay County. The facility is expected to house a 250 luxurious rooms with a capacity to host 200 Executive Guest Rooms, 45 Superior Guest Rooms and 5 Presidential Suites – all finished and furnished to international standards. The facility will also have conference facilities for small – large audiences fully fitted and equipped with state of the art communication equipment’s and conference facility. Besides this, the facility will have a Business Center, In-room mini bars, and leisure club with excellent waters sports and sand-bathing facilities and equipment. Other features of the project include: Provision of exceptional security within the Island, friendly and relaxing environment with excellent bird-watching sites for pleasurable experience throughout the year, excellently ambience and panoramic view of Lake Victoria while basking at the white sands Beaches of Takawiri Island, surrounded by other protruding hills and scenic islands visible form the beach. These facility will be are strategically situated within the vast Lake Victoria in Homa Bay, which is uniquely connection to other East African Countries of Uganda and Tanzania by water.

The Proposed Gor Mahia International Convention Centre, Hotel And Parking

The International Convention Centre will host conferences, private business meetings, major conventions and exhibitions, social and charity functions and entertainment events. It will feature a bold, modern design, purpose building built with operational and service excellence in mind but in considering of sustainability and green footprint at its core. It will have a large central green space filled with planting and will allow natural lighting and ventilation to the building. It will feature a two tier auditorium with a capacity to hold 500 people, four plenary halls each with a capacity to hold 1,000 people per seating. An additional five plenary halls will be located in the first floor, giving the total capacity of people to be hosted all the plenary halls at 9,000. On the second floor, there will be 20 configurable meeting rooms, boardrooms and conference spaces featuring the latest technology.

The third floor of the convention center will house a Hospitality Training Centre. This facility will offer professional training courses in Hospitality and Catering, Sports Physiotherapy, and related courses. It will serve among others; Transmara County (Maasai Mara Game Park), Kisii County (Tabaka Soapstones & Manga Ridges), Nyamira County its breath-taking highlands and escarpments, Migori County (Thim Lich Ohinga Cultural Heritage), Kisumu County and Siaya County which are connected to Homa Bay County via Water transport which is currently being through the now revamped under the Lake Transport System.

The top most floor of the convention center will be reserved for a hotel and office space for the stadium and convention center management. The Hotel will boast a bouquet of 200 rooms and luxury suits, ranging from Superior suits to Club rooms. The Hotel will also feature One (1) Presidential Suit.

Fish Auction/Processing Centres ($ 15,000,000)

Development of the fish Auction/processing centers is a project expected to provide opportunities in fish cold storage, processing facilities and marketing within and outside the county. At maximum capacity the project is expected to process, store and auction 30,000MT of fish per year and create 80,000 jobs directly and 100,000 indirectly. The expected annual turnover for the fish auction and processing Centre is approximated to be around USD 60,000,000. This project is destined to be developed in Suba, Mbita Sub County in Homa bay County. The lakes full potential in production of fish and fish related products is estimated to be around 300,000 metric tons annually but currently only 60,000 metric tons of fish is harvested from the lake with the major reason being lack of accesses to internal and external markets, low returns on fishermen catch, lack of storage facilities, poor and unhygienic handling, processing and storage of fish which has resulted into post-harvest losses and fishermen exploitation by middlemen within the fish processing and marketing value chain. The auction centers will mitigate these vices.

Homa Bay Cement Plant ($103,000,000 - $139,000,000)

Homa Bay County presents an opportunity for a cement manufacturing factory. Past reconnaissance survey by the Ministry of Mines and Geology indicate widespread limestone deposits in several parts of Homa Bay County including Homa Hills (commonly referred to as Homa Lime because of its limestone deposits) and Ruri Hills. Besides, there are other cement production inputs such as silicon, iron ore, etc within the county. About 90% of the inputs are found within the county and only less than 10% of the inputs may be imported from outside the county. The cement plant of an estimated capacity of between 1.5 to 2 million metric tons per annum can be sited at Homalime in Karachuonyo or at the foot of Ruri Hills in Lambwe Valley. The proposed sites are ideal not only due to their proximity to the limestone deposits, but also because they lie along the shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in East Africa, which will make easy access to the whole market area through water transport system. This will be the first cement manufacturing plant in the whole of Western Kenya. Existing plants are on the Eastern side of the country and are at least 500 kilometers away, which increases the market prices after loading transport cost. A huge market for cement exists in the region, which covers the whole of Western Kenya and the other East African countries. Cement consumption (including export) is about 7million metric tons per annum. Demand has been growing at average of 13% (domestic) and 7% (export) per annum over the last 10 years due to a boom in the housing and road construction sector. Growth is expected to accelerate with the opening up of the East African Common Market, devolution of governments to the counties and planned mega projects such as SGR and LAPSET. East African Common Market spans a huge market covering Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, while the creation of county governments has led to acute demand for housing, urbanization and road construction.

Homa Bay Waterfront

The Homa Bay County Government has embarked on planning and development of the land around Homa Bay Lakefront, to provide for investment opportunities in high end hospitality facilities including jetties, restaurants, leisure parks and accommodation facilities among others. The initiative will include preparation of a sustainable waterfront masterplan, design concepts, detailed working drawings and governance frameworks. The development component includes establishing networks with regional and global private sector investment partners for private sector financing for development. This activity will be led by the Cities Investment Facility of UN-Habitat, in collaboration with the department of Lands and Urban Development in the County. The county has a plan to develop our waterfronts to attract investments. With the considerate progress in our partnership with Kenya Railways and Kenya Ports Authority in redeeming and putting in place plan to develop the waterfronts within our County to make it look attractive just like Mama Ngina beachfronts in Mombasa County. This project provides massive investment opportunity for investors interested in investing in the hospitality industry through providing them with an opportunity to developing hospitality facilities such as watersports, hotel, restaurants, leisure parks/gardens, accommodation and children playing parks to explore the untapped tourism potential within the western Kenya Circuit.

Accommodation Facilities, Simbi Nyaima

Simbi Nyaima in Luo means the “sunken village” which is an amazing volcanic lake in the Western Kenya in Karachuonyo area near Lake Victoria. So far, the department of Tourism through the county government of Homa Bay has embarked on developing the site to make it more attractive. Among the facilities under development include a perimeter fence, an office block and the construction of ablution facilities. It is a seasonal home for migrating flamingoes. Construction of suitable accommodation facilities through participation of private investors will boost the attraction immensely.

Oil Palm Crop Project

Homa Bay County has an enormous investment opportunity in palm oil farming and value addition, owing to the county’s tropical climate and agro-climatic conditions. Research has shown Busia County is ideal for palm oil farming. Given climatic similarity with Homa Bay County; the latter too has similar potential. Homa Bay County government is thus seeking investors to invest in palm oil crop farming and value addition. Given palm oil productivity per hectare and favorable market price & cost of production per hectare, the county is on course to exploiting this opportunity in partnership with private investors. Its revenue yield of USD 6,950 per hectare is much higher that of maize at 1,000 per hectare which makes it a niche investment opportunity for Homa Bay County.

Oyugis, Nyakwere and Homa Bay Open Air Markets Upgrading and Modernisation

This project is targeted to primarily benefit persons living with disability by providing job opportunities. The project aims at replacing the current markets with more modern ones.

Poultry Slaughterhouse Project

The project aims at commercializing local poultry. It will entail putting in place the following facilities: slaughter hall, processing rooms, chill, frozen and dry rooms among others. It is estimated to have the potential of providing employment directly and indirectly to more than 10,000 people.

Horticultural Crop Production for Domestic Market and Export Market ($43,206,026)

Homa Bay county is in a vantage position to be the leader in horticultural produce in Western Kenya. With net irrigable area of 1,474 hectares, Oluch in Rangwe provides the critical resources required for horticultural crop production. Moreover the current deficit in the fruit and vegetable market in the country gives a strong justification for investment in the area..