Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago drives an excavator during the
groundbreaking ceremony for the new Toyota showroom in Eldoret. PHOTO |
JARED NYATAYA
For a town that suffered greatly during the deadly post-election
violence 10 years ago, the recent interest shown in Eldoret by leading
corporates has boosted its push for full recovery.
The firms are keen to set up regional offices to serve the western and northern parts of Kenya.
The
2007-08 post-election violence brought the town to its knees as
hundreds of residents were killed and property worth millions of
shillings destroyed following a disputed presidential election that
sparked deadly protests across the country.
The town, in Uasin Gishu County, was the epicentre of the
violence that led to at least 1,133 deaths and displacement of over 600,
000 people countrywide. Although its recovery has been slow, the recent
move by Safaricom, the country’s leading telecommunications firm, to
set up its first call centre outside Nairobi region and Toyota’s
decision to build a Sh400 million multi-brand facility have given the
town a stamp of faith as it seeks to become a city as part of its
recovery.
Last week Thursday, the giant motor vehicle
company became the second firm in less than a month to spread its
tentacles to the North Rift’s main town.
The firm’s Kenya managing director Arvinder Reel said they picked the town because of its vibrancy and ease of business.
“As
Toyota Kenya we chose to set up the facility in Eldoret due to the
county government’s move to provide an enabling environment to do
business, the ease of doing business in the county, a vibrant business
community, a host of banks and financial institutions and good
infrastructure, among other factors,” said Mr Reel during the
ground-breaking ceremony.
The facility, to be completed
in one year, sits on a four-acre piece of land at Annex estate, on the
busy Eldoret-Nakuru highway and will cost Sh450 million. It will host
several brands and franchises, including Hino, Suzuki, Yamaha, CASE IH,
Mercedes, Jeep and Volkswagen which are part of the larger CFAO group to
which Toyota Kenya belongs.
It is its second biggest
investment in the county by the company following the construction of
Toyota Tsusho Fertiliser Africa Ltd, at Ngeria on the outskirts of the
town that produces Baraka brand of fertiliser.
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