Kirinyaga nears completion of County Aggregation and Industrial Park

Construction of the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) in Kirinyaga is almost complete, bringing the county closer to establishing itself as a hub for agro-processing and industrial activities.

The facility is located within the Sagana Agro-Industrial City, a designated Special Economic Zone (SEZ), and is designed to support value addition, strengthen agricultural supply chains, and create employment opportunities.

Eight warehouses are 86 per cent complete, including two cold storage units, two for produce aggregation, and four for processing activities. The completion of these facilities marks steady progress toward the park’s operational launch.

Speaking in Kariti Ward, Ndia Constituency, where the project is located, Governor Anne Waiguru said the industrial park is expected to create jobs, particularly for youth and women.

“The park will provide farmers with a structured system for aggregating produce, preserving it through cold storage, and channeling it into processing industries,” she said. “For example, avocados could be processed into oil and tomatoes into paste. We expect more than 100,000 indirect jobs and over 10,000 direct jobs.”

The governor added that the park is part of the county’s Wezesha Kirinyaga program, which aims to link agricultural production to processing and manufacturing to reduce post-harvest losses and expand market opportunities for farmers.

The facility is also expected to attract investors in agro-processing, logistics, packaging, and warehousing. Waiguru acknowledged support from the national government, including President William Ruto, noting that collaboration between the two levels of government has helped advance the project.

A recent inspection by a team from the Ministry of Trade and the Office of the Deputy President found the project’s progress impressive. Kirinyaga has been ranked among the fastest counties in implementing the CAIP.

In addition to the industrial park, the county government has developed supporting infrastructure, including dykes to protect the site from flooding from Rivers Sagana and Ragati.

Once fully operational, the CAIP is expected to provide a reliable market for farm produce and strengthen Kirinyaga’s agro-processing sector.