President William Ruto has called on county governments to align their regulatory frameworks to enhance the ease of doing business and unlock investment opportunities across the devolved units.
Speaking on Friday at the inaugural Murang’a Investment Conference, President Ruto revealed that national and county governments are in ongoing discussions to harmonize business licensing frameworks, aiming to create a more investor-friendly environment.
“It is important that as we expand the market, we prepare so that we are not just exporting raw materials. We must add value to whatever we are producing,” President Ruto stated.
“That is why special economic zones like the one in Murang’a and others across the country are critical ecosystems. They will help us tap into the full potential of the markets we are creating.”
The conference brought together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, including investors, county leaders, and development partners, with a strong emphasis on leveraging agriculture — which contributes nearly half of Kenya’s GDP — to drive local economic transformation.
President Ruto emphasized the importance of using locally sourced raw materials, adding value, and accessing global markets through structured value chains supported by enabling infrastructure.
County governments were urged to enact investor-friendly legislation and embrace public-private partnerships (PPPs) to stimulate job creation and economic activity.
Equity Group CEO Dr. James Mwangi stressed the significance of value addition for farmers in Murang’a County and pledged support for agro-industrial initiatives.
“It’s the power of value addition that will motivate Murang’a farmers,” said Dr. Mwangi.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata echoed the sentiment that sustainable job creation lies in a vibrant private sector, not ballooning public sector employment.
“Governments do not create jobs per se. It would be unsustainable to absorb everyone into the county payroll. Jobs are created by the private sector,” Kang’ata said.
The inaugural Murang’a Investment Conference drew participation from governors, private sector players, and regional investors, and served as a platform to promote regional economic development through collaborative investments.
