Residents of Nasewa Village where the proposed Industrial park and Export processing zone will be placed, have been urged to own up the project for it to be successful.
Through public participation, Matayos South Member of County Assembly Mr Denis Okinda noted that in many cases government projects fail to materialize especially when locals gang up against them.
“In most cases, government projects fail to materialize because locals fail to associate themselves with them. They don’t own the programs.
On this one Let them support the contractors who will work on the projects. We don’t want to get cases where construction materials have been stolen or vandalized by the locals which may derail the projects,” said Mr Okinda
The area MCA noted that phase one of the projects will be completed within the next seven months after the projects have been commissioned.
“Phase one of the projects will be done within seven months after its commissioning and those who will be lucky to selected to work during the construction, upon the completion those who will be lucky to work there have earned enough to look after themselves,” he noted
He wanted those who have been carrying out farming activities on the 843 acres of land at Nasewa in the Matayos sub-county to desist from doing so adding that at any moment the project may be launched by President William Ruto.
He advised the locals to start planting crops that are able to produce edible oil to provide raw materials when the industrial parks start working.
“Let us not wait for the government to evict us from the land. Let those who had plans to continue farming on the land stop and vacate as we wait for directions from the government offices.
I also want to encourage our people to start planting crops that can be used to produce edible oil including sunflower, we require Sim Sim, groundnuts, and soya beans among other crops that will bring benefit to us as a community.
His sentiments were echoed by Ms Valentine Juma, the resident appealing to the government to consider them during and after the construction of the facilities adding that that is the only way they will benefit from the projects
“The projects will come with job opportunities, let us be factored in as locals in both professional and non-professionals jobs so that we can feel the presence of the projects when they finally roll out, considering that it is us who gave land for these projects,” said Ms Valentine Juma.