Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called on county governments to fast-track the completion and operationalization of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs), describing them as the bedrock of Kenya’s industrialization agenda and Vision 2060.
Speaking during high-level intergovernmental meetings—including the 30th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) and a special stakeholder session at his Karen residence—Prof. Kindiki affirmed that CAIPs are critical for decentralized manufacturing, value addition, and expanded market access for local farmers.
Eight priority counties—Embu, Meru, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Garissa, Wajir, Busia, and Migori—have made significant progress and are scheduled for commissioning before the end of the year.
To overcome operational bottlenecks, the National Government through the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment will assist the eight pioneer counties with a centralized procurement framework to equip the parks uniformly.
State agencies have been directed to hasten the installation of crucial common-user facilities and infrastructure, including roads, electricity, water connections, and waste management systems.
County governments were challenged to leverage Kenya’s international trade agreements—including quota-free and duty-free access to Asian, European, and American markets—by processing local agricultural produce through CAIPs.
The Ministry has developed standardized operationalization guidelines, and technical assessments will be mandatory before any park is cleared for public use.
Prof. Kindiki confirmed the timely release of county allocations and equitable share funds by the National Treasury to prevent project delays, while appealing to Parliament to support funding frameworks for the remaining 13 CAIPs nationwide.
“CAIPs are the first step towards industrialization. All the economic giants we look up to—like South Korea, Malaysia, and China—built their growth on value addition and cottage industries. These parks are the engines that will take Kenya where we want it to go.”
