The Milly group of companies, a leading manufacturer of food items and beverages have launched the Mtwapa Business Park that is expected to transform Mtwapa into a 24 hour economy hub.
Sitting on a 10.5 acre plot, the park will consist of 42 warehouses, each measuring 6,500 square feet.Each warehouse has the potential to employ 100 people and is expected to create over 4,000 direct employment opportunities to Kilifi residents.
Phase one of the project consisting of eight completed warehouses was launched on Saturday in an event graced by Kilifi deputy governor Florence Chibule as phase two of 16 more warehouses will be launched in January.
Speaking during the launch, Milli group of companies vice chairman Mohammed Rashid said that they were looking at growing Kilifi’s economy which he said was growing and catching up fast with major towns and cities like Mombasa and Nairobi.
“This is a first of its kind in Kilifi, the park is an ideal location for manufacturing, SME operations, value addition, show rooms and storage and warehousing purposes,” said Rashid.
The warehouses, Rashid said, will consist of ground floor storage with a height of 6.5 meters.
They will also include a finished office, kitchenette with washroom facilities in the mezzanine floor and double entry doors modular design.
“The roofs are insulated and in a secure compound with CCTV cameras, internet compatibility and connectivity, four parking spaces for trucks with enough turning points are part of the amenities that comes with the facilities,” Rashid said.
Rashid who also sits in the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Mombasa board said that the decision to invest in Kilifi was informed by the fact that Kilifi has an ease of doing business.
“We have been investors in Mombasa and Kilifi, but we have found it easier and convenient to do business in Kilifi because once you get a better tax break from the national government, labour is easily available and it is very easy to access leadership in the county. The county is also blessed with land which is fairly priced,” he said.
Kilifi deputy governor Florence Chibule hailed the new investment in Kilifi saying that the new administration under Governor Gideon Mung’aro was willing to partner with investors who want to bring their businesses to Kilifi.
She said that as an incentive to attract more investors to Kilifi, the county government was working towards collapsing operational and approval licenses into one.
She said that the plan was to have a one stop window where one license will cover Single business permit, health, fire and safety permit among others to lower the cost and make it easier to do business in the county.
She added that to tap into the Mtwapa nightlife and enable operationalisation of the 24 hour economy in the area, the county was planning to work with the national government to put up street lights and enhance security within the area.