Violence scares away investors, President Ruto says in Nyanza
The Head of State said Kenya risked losing investment in the future if the country was not peaceful.
President William Ruto has made an impassioned plea to residents of the Nyanza region to shun violence, saying chaos scares away investors, thereby hampering development.
He accused the opposition of fomenting chaos and scaring away investors by calling for street protests.
The Head of State said Kenya risked losing investment in the future if the country was not peaceful.
He also appealed to Kenyans to embrace peace as a way of attracting more investors to develop the country's economy.
"No investment will come to Kenya if we are violent. We must ensure that we are a peaceful nation otherwise we will lose investment," Dr Ruto said.
After the last election, the opposition staged a series of protests to demand changes.
This led to the destruction of property and deaths of people.
The protests were suspended after bipartisan talks began at the Bomas of Kenya.
However, opposition leader Raila Odinga has said he may instruct his supporters to resume the protests if the ongoing talks do not go according to plan.
Businesses in the country
President Ruto said he had travelled to different parts of the world to woo investors to come and set up businesses in the country.
He said he has been telling different people about the various opportunities that exist in the country.
He, however, expressed concern that some were not willing to put their money in Kenya for fear that their property would be destroyed.
Such investors, he said, want to build on tourism and other sectors, but they are afraid of losses.
"We must be a peaceful nation that protects property. I don't want to hear that investors are running away because of protests," urged the President.
He was speaking when he visited Victory Farms, a fish production company located on Rowo Beach in Suba, Homa Bay County.
President Ruto was speaking when he visited Victory Farms, a fish production company located on Rowo Beach in Suba, Homa Bay County.
Victory Farms is among the fastest-growing fish farms in the country
Victory Farms is among the fastest-growing fish farms in the country.
It produces and supplies at least 100,000 tonnes of fish every year.
The Head of State granted the company a new permit to expand its fish production.
Commitment to investors
He said the company had shown that Kenya could feed itself if entrepreneurs are given the support they needed.
"My commitment to investors is to support them to improve their operations to benefit local communities and the country," Dr Ruto said.
The Head of State also urged Kenyans to protect public property from destruction.
He was referring to instances where protesters set fire to roads, leading to their destruction.
President Ruto warned protesters against setting fire to roads.
"It makes no sense that the government spends so much on building roads that some people destroy them by setting them on fire. I want a commitment that no one will ever destroy our roads," he said.
Earlier, the Head of State commissioned the upgrading of the Mfangano Island bypass.
He also launched the construction of the Mbita-Sindo-Magunga-Sori road.
