Machakos County: The Plains of Many, Hot Investment Opportunities

Machakos County offers great opportunities for investors. Its proximity to Nairobi makes it an ideal location for industries, schools, housing estates and other large scale facilities to serve the city population. This is supported by the availability of large, flat tracks of land giving enough space for construction and display.

 

Athi River town, which has experienced a tremen­dous growth in recent years, remains a favorite destination for Nairobi-based investors – in fact, all the seven cement manufacturing companies sit side by site at Athi River. Major housing estates are already springing up most parts of Athi River municipality which will increase opportu­nities arise for trade in sup­plies food products and ser­vices such as in education and medical areas.

In deed, the urbanization of most parts of the district — along Mombasa and Kangundo roads

— has increased demand forreal estate investments and the provision of construction materials such as timber, sand and stones.

Investing in Fruits

Machakos District is rich in fruit production. This offers a good opportunity for fruit processing industries. In deed, it was be­cause of the availability of fruits, that the first fruit jam manufacturing company in the country — the Kenya Orchards Limited — was located at Mutituni, only six kilometers away from Machakos town. For years, the company supplied its famous products throughout Kenya and beyond from its factory at Machakos.

When the company however shifted its base to Nairobi last year, a big vacuum was left. Investors coming into the position will be able to benefit from the wealth of skills and infrastructure estab­lished by the KOL

 Cattle Products

 Again, the first meat processing, and still the largest meat processing company, the Kenya Meat Commission, is located in Athi River in Machakos. Started in the colonial time, the factory was designed to tap the large supply of animals from the larger Machakos and Kitui districts. 

 Animals are still a major agricultural product in the district, making industries to process cattle products quite viable. Sales of hides and skins have been high. 

Machakos district feeds Nairobi with chickens and eggs. Large scale poultry farms are therefore viable investments.

Quality Hotels and Restaurants

Opportunities ex­ist for top class hotels and restaurants to ca­ter for the increasing population in the district and in Nairobi.  In deed, the Municipal Coun­cil of Mavoko (Athi River) is encouraging investors to put up five star hotels along Mombasa Road. They would benefit from the nearness to the .lomo Kenyatta Inter­national Airport which is only 10 kilometers away.

Flower Farms

Flower farms are a thriving business within Athi River and its environs. More flower farms can benefit too from the nearness to the airport.

 Investing In Cultural Products

 Machakos County is the home of the world famous Akamba wood carving. Started after the First World War by a war veteran named Mutisya wa Munge at Wamuyu, some 60 kilometers east of Machakos town, wood carving has grown to become of Kenya’s important foreign exchange earners, tourist attraction and a simple publicity vehicle for the country.

 Other leading cultural products from the area include the kyondo, also famous around the world as a traditional women basket. The kyondo has become even more famous after attempts to steal the concept by Japanese cultural thieves.

 Investment opportunities in this area exist for those interested in building export businesses.

 Background

 The people of Ukambani, of which Machakos is a part, are historically traders. Before the coming of the Europeans, their trade went as far as Lake Victoria, Lake Turkana, Mombasa and even farther a field into Uganda, Congo and Central Af­rica.

They traded in almost anything that could be sold but especially in ivory, guards, beads, cloth, tobacco and honey.  It is, in fact, said that in the 18th Century, when the man who came to be known to history as Chief Masaku wa Ngei heard of about a European –Dr. L. Krapf – who had visited Kitui, his instinct was to invite the Whiteman to settle in Ukambani so that traders would not have to travel far and wide to sell their goods.

The result was that Machakos town was established and became the first in-land administrative post for the country now called Kenya.

When the capital was moved to Nairobi, traders had to trek through the expansive Kapiti plains (literary, plains of small hyhenas)  to sell their goods. The positive outcome was the founding of Mavoko (also known as Athi River Town) as a resting place for the traders en route to Nairobi.

The Akamba are still an enterprising traders and business community, as a result of which a myriad of thriving towns have sprung up, both in the greater Ukambani and in Machakos District. Machakos district is home to two large municipalities, several large town councils such as Kangundo and Matuu and many smaller townships. In deed, more than 50 per cent of the district’s population is classified as urbanized.

Population

The district’s popu­lation is currently estimated at 1.5 million with the high popula­tion growth rate of 3.5 due to the high rate of urbanization in the main to was especially Machakos and Athi River..

 Children under the age of 5 years make up more than 17 per cent of the population, according to government statistics, while school age children (6-13 years) constitute 25 per cent (for pri­mary schools) and 11 per cent (for secondary schools)

Of the total women population, those in the child-bearing age (15—49 years) constitute some 42 per cent.

 Incomes and Employment

 Although Machakos District is regarded as poor, the municipality is generally classed as one of those with the highest concentration of millionaires. Trade constitutes a major part of their incomes with many supplying goods and services to Nairobi and other towns.

 Self employment in the commercial and service sectors has seen tremendous growth because of the expansion of urban populations. New business registrations have increased with the highest growth being registered in the hotel and catering sectors.