Homa Bay County industrialisation plans

Monday 4th July, 2014

Homa Bay Governor, Mr Cyprian Awiti says his administration has ambitious plans to set up fish based industries in the County, noting that the region fronted 80 percent of Lake Victoria.

Mr Awiti said the county’s industrialization plans target to set up value addition processes in fish and fish-related industries, as fish was a major resource for the community. He said middlemen were making mega profits selling the fish to other markets while fishermen from the county had nothing to show for their efforts.


He was speaking at the weekend when he hosted the Managing Director of Kenya Power, Dr Ben Chumo, in Homa Bay town during an Shs.80 million exercise by the Company to refurbish the electricity network in the county in order to reduce incidence of blackouts.


For the realization of the county plans, the governor noted that stable and adequate power was a critical input noting that investors wanted an assurance of supply consistency. He welcomed the initiative by Kenya Power to upgrade the network.


The County leadership, he added, was also exploring other agri-based industries noting the region could be a high producer of potatoes among other crops.

 

Dr Chumo acknowledged that counties were the focus of national development adding the Company was investing to support their plans to enhance their economic progress by ensuring power supply was consistent.


He said the government was developing additional generation of 5000 megawatts to be injected into the grid by 2017, adding it was necessary for the Company to expand capacity of the distribution network to deliver the power to consumption centres in counties.


He explained that the Homa Bay project was part of a major countrywide exercise known as Boresha Umeme (upgrade power supply systems) which involves conducting master repair works at existing substations and upgrading power lines.


In Homa Bay the exercise entailed construction of a second high voltage line to the county to provide alternative supply, reconstruction of a 45 kilometre medium voltage line (33 kV) from Kolweny to Homa Bay as well as replacement of over 300 wooden poles with concrete poles for enhanced capacity and reliability of power supply in the area.


He said the Company will, in addition, refurbish existing power lines totaling 24 kilometers in length, develop new interconnecting power lines serving Sindo, Nyatoto and Mirogi and a 20 kilometre interconnector from Kadel to Homa Bay.


“This operation will ensure that the power supply system is robust and power supply consistent to support economic growth of the counties,” he said.


Ends…..
For more information, contact:
Kenya Power Corporate Communications Dept.
Tel. 3201622/39or/47
E-mail communications@kenyapower.co.ke