Residents of Vihiga County have urged the National government to speed up the construction of the Sh 50M granite factory that has since stalled for three years now.
The construction just kicked off a few weeks ago in Ebuyangu area of Luanda Sub- County and residents fear that its implementation might be slower just like it took long before it kicked off.
The factory which was to be built between 2018 and 2019 by the national government in conjunction with the County government is set to exploit the over 30% stone coverage in Vihiga County in a move to boost the economy of the county by providing employment to the residents and revenue to the land owners. The products will be sold both locally and internationally.
The governor of Vihiga County Dr. Wilber Otichilo had earlier donated a 10 acre land where the factory is to be constructed by a foreign company, wide scope construction limited that won the tender.
“I hope this is not a campaign strategy that will die with time but a project that is here to stay, otherwise why has it taken long to be implemented only to be operational a few days to election,” said George Amimo, a resident of Luanda Sub County lamented.
The residents have been making a living by crushing the smaller stones into ballast for sale but the huge stones which cover a large agricultural land have gone unexploited for centuries limiting food production.
According to Christopher Amisi, the government should expound the services of the company to producing terrazzo tiles and many other construction products. The stones should be exploited to the latter.
Apart from the stones being raw materials for the granite factory, they also serve as natural sites for both local and international tourists. A good example is the shrine in Sabatia Constituency.
By Susan Mwenesi