Uhuru and Ruto set for county’s first investor forum

Nandi County Governor Cleophas Lagat (centre), his deputy, Dominic Biwott (right), Nandi County Assembly Majority Leader Samuel Sawe, and members of the Nandi County Assembly. Nandi County will next week host its inaugural investor conference and exhibition in Kapsabet. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA |   NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• “Residents selling land in the county now have to make sure that they provide for amenities such as roads, electricity and water on such land.
• Nandi County is nicknamed the ‘Sources of Champions’ due to its pre and post independence production of world-beating distance runners such as the legendary Olympic gold medalist Kipchoge Keino.

By ELIAS MAKORI
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Nandi County will next week host its inaugural investor conference and exhibition in Kapsabet.

President Kenyatta and deputy William Ruto are lined up to open the conference next Friday.

The conference opens to the public at the Kapsabet showground two days before.

While in Nandi, the President and his deputy will also issue about 20,000 title deeds to long-suffering locals.

The deeds will highlight the Uhuru administration’s efforts to consolidate political support for the county that voted heavily for Jubilee during the last General Election.

But Nandi officials are down-playing the politics and are instead drumming up trade, tourism, housing and agro-business.

Nandi Governor Cleophas Lagat and the county assembly have passed legislation on land tailor-made to move Nandi County out of the shadows of neighbouring Uasin Gishu County capital Eldoret.
They hope to elevate Kapsabet town into a metropolis well-serviced by water, electricity and roads.

AMENITIES

“Residents selling land in the county now have to make sure that they provide for amenities such as roads, electricity and water on such land.

“This is aimed at raising the people’s living standards,” Dr Lagat said in an interview with Nation ahead of the summit.

“Nandi County is ready to welcome genuine investors and investment,” the governor said.

Nandi County is nicknamed the ‘Sources of Champions’ due to its pre and post independence production of world-beating distance runners such as the legendary Olympic gold medalist Kipchoge Keino.

The county has a population of about 800,000 people and major urban centres include Nandi Hills, Kobujoi, Kaptumo, Mosoriot, Kabiyet and Maraba.

Besides agriculture, at next week’s investor summit, Nandi County will be seeking to attract investors in education, tourism and sports.

“We face a huge challenge in the hospitality industry and this should be an advantage to investors,” he said.