Fresh Storm in Kenya Kwanza as MPs Send Protest Letter to Ruto CS

A fresh storm pitting Kiambu County leaders and Trade Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano over proposed Export Processing Zone (EPZ) is brewing. 

In a letter addressed to Miano, the 13 Members of Parliament from the county led by Majority Leader in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung’wah protested what they called a move to sideline Kiambu in the construction of EPZ facilities. 

According to them, President William Ruto had promised to approve the construction of two EPZs, one in Kiambu County and another one in Murang’a County, in a meeting held on October 27.

However, they added, the Ministry of Trade only gazette the project in Murang’a County- raising questions as to the fate of the one proposed in Kiambu.

As per the joint statement, the leaders are concerned that the failure to gazette the Kiambu project would deprive the county of opportunities and see it lose all investors to the neighboring Murang’a County.  

“We are however concerned that the Murang’a EPZ has now been gazetted but not the Kiambu one,” the MPs stated.

“We wish to request that you kindly fast-track the gazetting of the Kiambu County EPZ so as to move at the same pace with that of our neighbors – Murang’a,” the MPs added.

MPs Blame Kiambu Governor

In addition, the MPs mentioned that reluctance to cooperate with the Trade Ministry on the part of Governor Kimani Wamatangi could have been the reason the county risked losing the EPZ.

The leaders pleaded with CS Miano to consider fast-tracking the project citing the potential benefit to the people of Kiambu County.

Also Read: Are Export Processing Zones (EPZS) Living Up to the Hype?

“You may already have noticed the uncooperative character of our county Governor in this matter plus his deliberate efforts to sabotage most of the National Government projects including this EPZ and the affordable housing projects,” they stated.

“While the same is not lost on us, we urge you to kindly consider the people of Kiambu, especially the huge population of unemployed youth yearning for a source income from such investments,” the letter further reads.

Nonetheless, this new development came months after Ruto effected a cabinet reshuffle which saw CS Miano replace the current Public Service CS Moses Kuria in the docket.

Before the switch, CS Kuria had traversed several counties across the country to initiate the construction of the EPZs designed to spur industrialization at the county levels. 

EPZ Row Exposes More Wrangles in Kiambu

But the letter by the MPs was not the first instance where wrangles in the leadership of Kiambu County were exposed.

Also Read: UDA Governor Given Ultimatum Over Billions

In October Ichung’wah wrote a letter to Wamatangi demanding action over what he called a potential risk of losing a multi-million road project.

Also, in his letter, Wamatangi accused the embattled Governor of delaying the appointment of key county officials who were crucial in the approval of the donation funds.

As such, the Majority leader warned that the Governor would have personally made arrangements to fund the projects in the case Kiambu lost the opportunity. 

Lately, Wamatangi has been a man under pressure, with MCAs and leaders in the county threatening to take action against him.