The Kakamega County Government has set aside 48 acres of land at Matawa in Mumias West Sub-county for establishment of an industrial park.

County Executive for Trade, Industrialisation and Tourism Kassim Were said the county government is looking for strategic investors to set up agro-based factories to add value to maize, cassava, potatoes and beans.

Mr Were said a feasibility study for the project had been completed and investors are expected to start setting up businesses in the industrial park.

The county administration, in a signed memorandum of understanding with the Export Processing Zones-Authority has mandated the latter to develop and run the park.

“We intend to make Mumias an industrial town and the yet-to-be-constructed factories will enable it to grow rapidly,” he observed.

Additional 42 acres will be provided later for the expansion of the park.

He said the industries are projected to create 5,000 jobs for the residents, which in turn will boost their living standards.

The county government will upgrade and maintain rural road network to ease movement of people and goods.

Local residents have for a long time depended on sugarcane farming as the economic mainstay, but their fortunes dwindled after mismanagement of Mumias Sugar Company caused sugarcane farmers heavy losses.