West Pokot deputy governor, Titus Lotee has called on investors to initiate development projects and businesses in the county to help improve the economy and spur development in the area.
Mr Lotee said that the area is endowed with natural resources which have largely remained untapped for decades. He also urged residents to shun tribalism in business.
“We want people from outside to invest in the county. We don’t want a repeat of what happened in Uganda, where Amin chased away Indians and the economy collapsed,” Lotee said.
The deputy governor assured investors that the county is now secure after the community abandoned cattle rustling, which had scared investors and derailed development. “We thank the government for the efforts they’ve put together with other organizations to restore security, thus making the region viable for investment,” he said.
Speaking during the launch of a Honey processing plant in Kapenguria town, Mr Lotee urged farmers in the area to embrace value addition on their products.
“Farmers should add value to their products to get more profit. This will help improve the living standards of the residents,” said Lotee. He urged farmers with bee hives to utilize them maximally.
“Honey is used as medicine, and we also get wax from it,” he said. Pokot produces natural organic honey and Lotee cited that despite the County producing 89,000 tonnes of honey every year, farmers lack a market for the product. “They sell it at 40 to 80 shillings per Kilogramme only,” he said
Lotee said West Pokot County government has set aside 20 million shillings to offer soft loans to residents. “We want residents to take the loans and expand their businesses,” he said. He called on youths in the area to engage in business activities.