NAIROBI: Plans are underway to set up one-stop investment centres, with the first one expected to be piloted in Nairobi at a cost of Sh100 million.
The centres are a result of a directive issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit last month to have senior officers from Government agencies deployed to counties to reduce the time it takes to get a business off the ground.
The centres are meant to help local and foreign investors with regulatory approvals and finding partners and markets, as well as ease the process of accessing Government services.
Speaking in Nairobi during a forum organised by the Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations, Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest) Managing Director Moses Ikiara yesterday said the idea of Huduma investment centres has been on the Government’s agenda since the 90s.
“These centres will be a reality of decades of toiling to ensure entrepreneurs, mostly foreign, do not find it difficult to invest in the country. Every service will be under one roof, from registration of businesses to partnering with local investors,” said Dr Ikiara. He added that the centres would have comprehensive information on all the country’s economic sectors.
“From mining, hospitality and tourism to education, information technology and agriculture, an investor will be well informed on the sectors with the most potential before he or she makes any moves,” Ikiara said.
The Government also plans to incubate foreign businesses at the centres as investors look for offices in the country.
