Ksii avocado farmers are worried after a factory which has been under construction for two years has ceased operations. The factory was commissioned by Governor James Ongwae, terming it as a county flagship project.
The initiative had raised hopes for avocado farmers in the county, with Governor Ongwae flagging off 30 metric tonnes of avocado oil for export a few months after the factory commenced business.
Kisii County Executive Committee Member (ECM) in charge of Agriculture, Vincent Sagwe, disclosed that the avocado factory was not actually a county project but a private investment.
“Let it be clear that the avocado factory project was purely a private project, ours as a county was only to facilitate the investor through constructing a godown, where the investor would pay the county government to use it,” said Sagwe.
Sagwe blames the collapse of the project on the godown contractor for abandon the project.
“The contractor has real let us down. If he was serious, he could have completed this project within six months, but we are going to recommend that the contract be canceled so that another contractor can be given the work to complete it,” Sagwe said.
source: citizentv.co.ke
