Bungoma to relocate 500 families from land meant for industrial park

Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati’s push for an industrial park has gained momentum as the county starts the process of relocating people from the site.

The park is one of his flagship projects as he seeks to deliver on his campaign pledge to create employment for youths.

Speaking to the Star after arriving from Uganda with MCAs, the governor said the county will hold public meetings on the matter.

The meetings will identify the affected people and discuss how to resettle them after their houses are demolished.

Some 700 county-owned houses stand on 103-acres where the county plans to build the park. Out of these houses, 500 are occupied.

Occupants of the houses said they worked for decades at the defunct Panpaper Mills. They have refused to move.

Wangamati, said the first public meeting will be held next Monday.

The meeting seeks to find alternative accommodation including providing a resettlement package to households currently occupying the houses on the land.

The county assembly allocated Sh63 million to begin construction of the park this financial year, Sh10 million is meant to help relocate affected families.

In November last year, Wangamati held a meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on the sidelines of the Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi.

Read: Wangamati asks Museveni for help on industrial park project

Museveni pledged to link Bungoma with investors seeking opportunities in the region.

In September last year, Wangamati signed an MoU with the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation to help in the park’s design.

Uganda is putting up 23 industrial parks, nine of which are already up and running. The biggest part on the outskirts of Kampala hosts Coca Cola and Toyota companies. 

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