Ministry regains ownership of livestock project after failed KDF takeover
Counties
Ministry regains ownership of livestock project after failed KDF takeover
Thursday 03 March 2022
Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Peter Munya. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Summary
- Livestock and Fisheries CAS Lawrence Omuhaka said the ministry had set aside 100 million shillings to complete the Bachuma Livestock Export Processing Zone project which had stalled for three years.
- The government has also recalled Techniques Supplies Limited to complete the project estimated at 380 million shillings.
- CAS revealed that last year the state handed over the project to the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), but they were unable to oversee its implementation.
The Ministry of Agriculture has repossessed a livestock export processing zone project in Taita Taveta County after the army failed to take it over.
Livestock and Fisheries CAS Lawrence Omuhaka said the ministry had set aside 100 million shillings to complete the Bachuma Livestock Export Processing Zone project which had stalled for three years.
The government has also recalled Techniques Supplies Limited to complete the project estimated at 380 million shillings. The ministry had terminated the contract in 2020 due to contractor delays.
“The money will be made available in the next financial year. We have decided to stick with the same contractor due to the legal implications involved,” he said.
CAS revealed that last year the state handed over the project to the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), but they were unable to oversee its implementation.
The Bachuma LEPZ project was launched in 2015 and is one of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s four major programmes. It was to be completed by 2020 to boost the cattle and beef export trade by facilitating access to overseas markets to improve sustainable livelihoods and food security in the country.
“KDF did not take over the project due to unavoidable circumstances, so as a department we decided to continue overseeing its implementation,” CAS said.
Once completed, the facility will accommodate up to 100,000 head of cattle and will boost livestock exports for traders in lucrative overseas markets in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Oman, which have strong demand. meat from East Africa.
CAS was speaking at Lwalenyi Ranch in Taita Taveta County during the launch of a Livestock Identification and Tracking System (LITS) program and Lwalenyi Ranch modernized the dip through a partnership with the Kenya Commercial Bank Foundation.
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