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Kenya must invest heavily in industrialisation

STEEL-PIPENAIROBI Kenya, Jun 10 – “It’s very frustrating to see the youth using drugs and engaging in dissolute activities because they are not employed. My vision is to play my small role in helping the government in dealing with the high rates of unemployment in the country,” says the Managing Director of Numerical Machining Complex (NMC) Christine Mbadi.

The Managing Director says for vision 2030 to be achieved, the government must invest heavily in industrialising the country. “A country cannot grow if it does not have the capacity to exploit its own resources.”

Though one year in office as the MD, Mbadi says she has realised industry’s great potential to help the country grow to greater heights.

Aligning itself to the Jubilee manifesto, the company is set to roll out an integrated steel company that will have a capacity of more than 5,000 workers once in operation.

“This will be the greatest achievement a government company will have made in terms of industrialising this country. The project is set to be established on a 1,200 acre land at Athi River,” Mbadi revealed while speaking to Capital FM News.

She challenged the government to establish a strong Iron and Steel Policy to guide investors who would be interested in establishing steel companies in the country.

“For this country to become a regional market leader in steel production, design, development and production of world class quality machinery components, we need well put data on iron and steel that investors can use,” she noted.

“The developed countries are known for good data keeping about anything they do… we should borrow from them.”

Mbadi says the government should also review its education curriculum on engineering courses for the country to have well trained manpower.

“Our education curriculum should go in line with our current job demands. Students are studying some courses just because they are being offered in universities, not even sure of whether they can be relevant for jobs,” She lamented.

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Mbadi also urged the government to promote locally produced products. “There is usually a bad mentality among the people that all products are made from China and other industrialised nations. It’s even worse when our own products are mistaken to have been imported,” she explained.

Citing some of their products in NMC such as the Mavuno Generators, Mbadi expressed confidence that the country can manufacture its own product without importing.

“It is possible to have our own products. We intend to roll out our services to other parts of the country and ultimately the East Africa region; all we need is good policies, a favourable business environment and a willing heart,” she confidently said.

Despite being in a field widely seen as men’s, the mother of two had this for women; “The Jubilee government has shown its commitment to empower women. There is no reason why they should complain any more. It’s the high time they take this opportunity.”

She noted that it was even better since their rights were enshrined in the constitution.

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