Bungoma governor Wycliffe Wangamati has taken MCAs for a benchmarking trip to Uganda during which the setting up of an industrial park in Webuye will be discussed.
The team is expected to learn how nail and iron sheet, paper manufacturing and cottage industries work in Kampala, Tororo and other small towns.
Bungoma has 63 MCAs. The working visit is expected to cost Sh43 million.
The team left for Kampala on Wednesday and is expected back on Saturday morning. The MCAs will also have a bonding session with the governor and his cabinet while in Uganda. Bungoma is planning to set up an industrial park at Wananchi area of Webuye town this year.
The tour follows a discussion Wangamati had two months ago with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Their talks covered among other things expanded partnerships that would attract Ugandan investors.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi.
The park was one of Wangamati’s main campaign projects in 2017.
The park, according to the governor, will offer employment to youths. The current tour follows another one Wangamati made to Uganda last year.
Uganda is well known for its industrial parks for agro-processing that have lifted the economy and created jobs.
It is setting up 23 industrial parks, nine of which are already operational. The biggest is Kampala Industrial and Business Park that is built on 2,200 acres with 301 registered investors.
MCAs had initially opposed the setting up of the park, saying local leaders and stakeholders were not fully involved in the process.
The ward reps, led by Maraka MCA Machani Mutoka, asked Wangamati to make the process more open to residents.
They also called for compensation of those whose houses were demolished. Machani is among those in the Uganda trip.
Wangamati said the park will be set up because money has been allocated for the work. He promised to bring on board all stakeholders and urged the residents and local leaders to support the project.
The governor said only those whose land has been taken up for the project will be compensated.
Bungoma chamber of commerce chairman Herman Kasili said that the benchmarking trip is important because it will help the setting up of the park in a structured and organised way.
“As a chamber of commerce, we support the setting up of the park because it will boost the economy of the county,” Kasili said.
One of the residents, Dennis Mpalia said he was happy that opposition to the project had ended.