The government is injecting Sh25 billion over the next five years into the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) programme to support value addition and agro-processing in all 47 counties.
This was announced by Principal Secretary for Industry Dr. Juma Mukhwana during the National Technical Implementation Committee meeting held at the Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI) in Nakuru.
The funds will be used to establish common user facilities that will help farmers and producers across the country access shared processing, packaging, cold storage, and quality control equipment, enabling them to add value to their produce and boost local manufacturing.
Mukhwana emphasized that the government is keen on supporting counties to transform agriculture and create jobs through industrialization.
He noted that the Sh25 billion allocation marks one of the biggest public investments in rural-based manufacturing and aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
The PS said that the National Technical Implementation Committee is tasked with overseeing the smooth rollout of the parks and ensuring that every county meets the set standards in infrastructure, machinery, and operational models.
Mukhwana confirmed that training and capacity building will also be done through KITI and other national institutions to ensure local expertise runs the parks efficiently.
So far, design and groundwork have begun in at least 15 counties, with Kisumu, Meru, Kilifi, and Bungoma among those in the advanced stages.
Mukhwana revealed that some parks could be operational by early next year.
The PS warned that counties that delay land provision or fail to meet basic criteria risk missing out on the funding.
Stakeholders from the private sector, development partners, and cooperatives present at the meeting welcomed the programme, saying it could transform Kenya’s agricultural output into high-value products for local, regional, and global markets.
The initiative is expected to spur rural development, cut post-harvest losses, and generate thousands of jobs across the agro-processing value chain.
Written By Ian Maleve
