The Mountain Journal
The ground is set for the operationalisational of the Murang’a Industrial Park, with six companies receiving land ownership documents.
Already, 55 percent of the land has been taken up by the investors after meeting all the requirements sent by the Murang’a County Government on the establishment of the industries based on the ideas sourced from the Murang’a Investment Conference of last year.
In the former Delmonte Kenya Limited land, measuring 1,400 acres, six companies have received 44 allotment letters to start putting up factories in the area allocated.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata said the county, in the venture to allocate land to the investors, has also raised Sh240million from investors who are building industries on the land.
“The money raised will be used to meet the obligations of the county, like absorption of interns, payment of teachers, and developing infrastructure in the land,” said the Governor.
Kang’ata said his administration will soon announce a call for applications for the rest of the investors
Among the companies that received the 99- year allotment are Absolute Healthcare Services, Top Pork, Kenagro Industries, Ashland Traders Limited, Pelican Metal, and Joska Enterprises.
” We are setting up a sunflower processing plant in Murang’a and animal seed additives,” said Kenagro Director John Muhia.
Ashland Director Sam Njoroge said they have already started building the cabro factory, and production will start in a month.
” The 99- year lease will help enable us to secure even more funding to expand the factory,” said Mr Njoroge.
The Murang’a Investment Conference was held on June 13th and June 14th last year. The county has made elaborate calls for investors to apply for land allocation for investment.
The county received 48 applications from investors to invest in the industrial park. Following a rigorous and transparent vetting process, 27 investors were approved and are at various stages of onboarding.
One of the approved investors has commenced construction during the groundbreaking ceremony.
“We want Murang’a to be the new China, where industries set up and create jobs. Agro-processing industries will create backward linkages to farmers and spur the economy,” said Kang’ata.
The industrial park incorporates both a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and an Export Processing Zone (EPZ).
The government is also constructing six godowns within the park to support investors.
The onboarded investors span agro-processing, healthcare, commercial enterprises and diverse manufacturing sectors, positioning Murang’a as a competitive industrial hub. The projects are expected to generate significant employment, stimulate local value chains, and expand the County’s revenue base.
The Murang’a Industrial Park sits on approximately 1,300 acres, strategically structured to accommodate both export and domestic market enterprises:
Another 500 acres are designated for the Export Processing Zone (EPZ).
The remaining acreage has been approved as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), allowing investors to operate within either a customs-controlled or non-customs framework.
This integrated EPZ-SEZ model enhances Murang’a’s attractiveness by offering fiscal incentives, regulatory efficiency, and modern infrastructure within a unified industrial ecosystem.
The Industrial Park is earmarked for a long-term economic transformation strategy, aimed at value addition, job creation, technology transfer, and positioning the County as a premier investment destination in Kenya and the region.