It is a hard-hitting moment in time for businesses and investors across the country. The hostile political atmosphere and vagueness is driving away local investors and billions are being lost in both revenues, products demand and slowed down production rate. It is therefore logical to assume that any effort by private investors to invest in the county ought to be welcomed, embraced and highly appreciated by the local county leadership. However, it is evident that Nakuru county officials are reading from a different script and they don’t care about investment nor the sad plight of investors.
As millions of patriotic Kenyans both in the country and the Diaspora were celebrating Mashujaa Day on 20th October, a group of county Askaris were on a mission to destroy a local investment along Kenyatta Avenue, Nakuru in exchange of their huge ego. The squad led by one Mr. Sifuna, an enforcement officer in Nakuru county government, full of rage and sheer ignorance to the existing county laws opted to hire local street children and use their proficiency to tear down and wreck a modern kiosk unit belonging to Kiosk Holdings Limited.
Roughly three weeks later after the first incident, way after the Company had received clearance from senior county officials and assurance that no county official would interfere with the business unit, one Mr. Douglas and his team of narcissistic ,egoistical Nakuru county government officials acting in an unwarranted manner and hiding behind County Government’s payroll numbers destroyed and completely vandalized the same business unit along Kenyatta Avenue, Nakuru in an act that has crippled the business and led to massive losses in terms of both cash and reputation.
Kiosk Holdings Limited, the company whose business unit was vandalized TWICE is on a charge to improve the regional retail industry by building and managing average size kiosks. It has opted to have Nakuru as its first operational base and already has a business unit along Oginga Odinga Road (near Taidys Hotel) and another one along West Road (near Evans Hospital).
It’s tear-jerking for any private investor to undergo such unfair treatment from the very organ that “pretends” to value investors and entrepreneurship. The business units are well stocked with a neat display and offer the best customer service experience. Each unit is run by two shop attendants and accommodates tens of others working in support departments such as marketing, sales, procurement, warehouse and operations.
It is therefore unreasonable for county government officials paid by taxes collected from the such investments to destroy and frustrate the company’s dream of providing employment to hundreds of youths while impacting the regional retail market.
It is highly unacceptable for county government officials to act contrary to what the county leadership stands for. The county Government officials involved in these two inequitable economic sabotage acts ought to be investigated, prosecuted and punished. While it is still unclear on why they acted in such a haughty manner, entrepreneurs across the county are baffled on the misuse of county resources and excessive use of force on innocent private investors whose only mistake is to invest and offer employment to hundreds of unemployed youths in Nakuru.
Some of the businessmen and investors are even considering moving out of the county to more investor friendly counties thus creating the urgency for the county’s top leadership to address the issue. It can’t be seen to preach water and drink wine when it comes to investments and entrepreneurship in Nakuru county.
Why did the county use Chokoras (street boys) to tear down and wreck the business unit? Why did the official opt to destroy such a valuable business unit instead of having a crane carry it to their premises at the company’s expense? Why the unrealistic urge to destroy and aggression to frustrate the local investors? Are county government officials above the law when it comes to running businesses in Nakuru? These are some of the questions that every investor in the county is asking as their dream to invest in the county fades away to oblivion due to bad business policies and egotistic county officers.
I call upon the Governor and his administration to work hand in hand with local investors and business owners in Nakuru in order to not only improve the county’s investment profile but also make Nakuru the leading destination for local and foreign investors. We all know his stand on local investments and how determined he is to provide a conducive environment for entrepreneurs. It is now the high time for him to work hand in hand with budding entrepreneurs and investors to endorse local investments and aid create more employment opportunities to our desperate youthful society.
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