NAIVASHA, Kenya, Feb 27 – Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has urged the private sector to exploit the emerging opportunities in the East African region to expand their business and enhance profitability.
Mr Musyoka said the government recognises the private sector as a critical player in the country’s economy and assured that the government will continue to support its operations in the spirit of partnership.
The Vice President made the remarks on Saturday when he addressed a two-day Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) workshop at the Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha after concluding a two day retreat for the PNU coalition parties.
The strategic PNU retreat resolved to transform the coalition into a new movement christened Progressive Democratic Movement with a slogan ‘Tai’.
The movement will in future field their candidates under one PDM umbrella as well as establish supreme council and secretariat at the national level alongside youth and women league at the grassroots.
Mr Musyoka asked KEPSA to be at the forefront in bringing about positive change in the business operation particularly at this time when the country’s image had been tarnished by negative publicity owing to the past political situations.
He said Kenya is an emerging true democratic nation where everyone including the media have freedom of opinion adding that this should not be misconstrued to mean the nation is in a political crisis.
The Vice President said that Kenya still remains a strategic get way to the East African region and a conducive investment destination in the region.
Mr Musyoka urged KEPSA membership to partner with their counterparts in other countries in order to share experiences and strengthen their operations.
The Chairman of KEPSA, Patrick Obath said the workshop aimed at reviewing the past achievement and challenges as well as to strategize on the way forward in order to relate well and be relevant to emerging larger markets in the region and beyond.
Engineer Obath said there is need to have a proper legislation that would recognize the operations of the private sector particularly in generation and utilization of revenue earned by the sector.
“It is important the KEPSA’s operations is recognised in the constitution as an important contributor to the country’s economy because a lot of funds and employment opportunities are created by the private sector,” he said.
Among those in attendance included the East African Business Council Vice Chairman Keli Kiilu, the KEPSA CEO Carole Kariuki and the KEPSA Vice Chairperson Lucy Karume among other representatives from the private sector.
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