By Jabali Digital
Bungoma governor Kenneth Lusaka has unveiled ambitious plans to partner with Chinese investors on coffee exports and agro-processing, for the upcoming industrial park at Sang’alo, Kanduyi constituency.
The governor unveiled the plans, during a high-level consultative meeting with Chinese investors and key players in the coffee market from Fuzhou Province, held in Nairobi.
The meeting sought to explore and foster economic cooperation between the Western County and the Chinese province.
The talks revolved around three key pillars: expanding Bungoma’s coffee export capacity to the Chinese market, attracting Chinese investment in the county’s upcoming agro-industrial park infrastructure, and partnering with local investors in value chain processing.
“Bungoma has immense untapped potential in agriculture, particularly in coffee farming and agro-processing,” said governor Lusaka.
“We are now actively opening international doors to ensure that our farmers benefit directly from global demand, especially from a robust market like China.”
The industrial park at Sang’alo which is nearing completion, the county boss said, will serve as a hub for value addition, packaging, and export of agricultural produce, especially coffee, maize, and sugarcane, which are staple crops in the region.
In addition to trade, governor Lusaka pitched Bungoma’s strategic location as ideal for infrastructure development, particularly the proposed Rironi-Mau Summit-Malaba dual carriageway.
The partnership, he said, aligns with Kenya’s broader economic diplomacy strategy, which prioritizes trade and investment relationships with emerging economies like China.
China is the world’s most populous nation with over 1 billion people.
Reports indicate that the Chinese continue to show a growing appetite for Kenyan coffee, particularly among its middle class.
As such, Bungoma aims to secure better prices and stable demand for its coffee farmers, who have often faced challenges such as price volatility and limited access to export platforms.
Speaking during Madaraka Day celebrations on June 01, President William Ruto said under the coffee sector reforms, Sh4 billion coffee cherry fund was established, Sh2 billion of which has been paid, with the balance allocated for payment in the 2024/2025 financial year.