Nakuru Launches Reforms to Foster a Conducive Business Environment

Nakuru County Government has launched extensive business reforms in an exercise that seeks to create a conducive environment for local and foreign investors.

Governor Susan Kihika said the reforms will touch on various areas of trade including business legislations and licensing, policy frameworks, tax regimes, trade levies and incentives for local investors.

According to Kihika, the move will create an enabling business ecosystem to spur investments and expand the existing markets and in turn create employment for hundreds of youths as promised in her manifesto.

“I will roll out, in the coming days, appropriate policies geared towards the promotion of a business-friendly environment for commerce to thrive. Our small-scale traders and youths must start to reap the benefits of our bottom-up economic model,” Kihika said.

The Governor further laid out a number of incentives for investors including paying legitimate suppliers and contractors, who have been unfairly treated and discriminated against by the county financial and supply chain system.

“I have issued instructions for the immediate restructuring of the supply chain management including new deployments, this will affect staff in all departments with qualified supply chain specialists and accountants,” she added.

She said for the region to grow in all spheres, those engaged in whatsoever businesses, including trading with the devolved unit, must now start to enjoy business-friendly policies. 

This includes waiver of county fees and charges, timely processing of payments, efficient management of supply chain and financial systems, among other interventions.

Kihika was, however, quick to note that a sustained corrupt business environment, a bureaucratic supply chain and financial system, unless checked, shall be the biggest bane to the county’s economic empowerment journey.