Trade CS Moses Kuria: State to set up cargo city at cement company in Athi River
Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria. The CS announced that the government will set up an exclusive cargo city at East African Portland Company in Athi River.
The government will set up an exclusive cargo city at East African Portland Company (EAPCC) in Athi River, Trade, Industry and Investment Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has said.
During the launch of an EAPCC product named Green Triangle Cement that aims at minimising the cement manufacturer’s carbon emissions, Mr Kuria said the government would use the company’s idle land profitably.
He urged EAPCC to take advantage of its properties.
“EAPCC is among the country’s beacons in local manufacturing. We will develop our land productively. We will use the company’s land to create jobs and generate foreign exchange,” the minister said.
“We will set up the best aviation hub in East and Central Africa.”
He said the country is grappling with the reality that it can not export farm produce to the global market due to the lack of cargo freight.
“We cannot export flowers, avocados and vegetables but the ministry is discussing with partners to use idle land at EAPCC to develop a cargo airport in five years,” he said.
“From a banking perspective, EAPCC is debt-free. I will be seeking support from other government departments to market the company as the best partner in the affordable housing agenda.”
The minister said a green engineering hub would be set up at the Athi River Numerical Machine complex set up for car assembly in the 1990s, adding that the two projects would create thousands of jobs.
The ministry, Mr Kuria said, would settle the problem of squatters once and for all.
EAPCC Managing Director Oliver Kirubai said the Green Triangle scheme would produce cheap cement.
He added that the company would push for a 30 per cent cement market in government construction.
