Plans for textile factory with up to 10,000 workers at Olkaria geothermal fields
Olkaria I Geothermal Plant (Source: Toshiba Press Release)
Alexander Richter
2 Apr 2018
A Dubai-based textile company has announced plans for the construction of a textile factory that could employ up to 10,000 workers at the Olkaria geothermal fields in Naivasha, Kenya.
Reported this morning from Kenya, a Dubai-based textiles company, United Aryan (EPZ), has announced plans for a factory that could employ up to 10,000 workers. The investor plans to establish the factory near the Olkaria geothermal plants in Naivasha, Kenya to take advantage of lower electricity costs.
This is the first large investment as part of KenGen’s plans to establish an industrial park near the geothermal plants at Olkaria. With a train connection between Nairobi and Olkaria under construction, that would then also connect the planned industrial park with the harbour in Mombasa, it seems like things are finally happening.
As reported by Business Daily, the factory could be built within the next two years and would manufacture apparel such as trousers, knit tops, fleeces, shirts, robes and pajamas.
United Aryan currently operates at Baba Dogo’s Balaji Export Processing Zone in Ruaraka, where it manufactures apparels for export.
The company’s founder and Chairman Pankaj Bedi said the factory will produce products for sale not only in Kenya, but across other markets in the world such as US and Europe.
“We have identified an ideal place at Olkaria geothermal fields in Naivasha where we intend to establish a Sh11.5 billion ($113 million) factory for the production of quality garments. We expect to start construction in the next two years and thereafter start operations as soon as the factory will be complete,” Mr Bedi said in an interview.
The factory, which will sit on a 20-acre land will provide employment opportunities to an estimated 10,000 locals directly and 40,000 other Kenyans indirectly.
It will have six units made up of 84 lines with the capacity to produce and wash more than 100,000 pieces of attire on a daily basis.
The firm’s expansion is in line with Kenya’s goal of expanding its manufacturing base, which contributes about 10 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Source: Business Daily Africa
