NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 12 – Trade and Investment Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has emphasized that the government will adopt an open policy while dealing with investors explaining that they will not measure engagement based on their conduct.
Speaking during the Capital in the morning show, Kuria insisted that the country is in the business of looking for investments to spur economic growth in the country amidst the turbulent cash crunch facing the administration.
He was responding to the backlash and queries on the move by the government to engage Belgium’s Bridgin Foundation to invest in infrastructural development in the country despite their negative records while dealing with other states.
The engagements with the foreign firm have raised red flags with accusations of the engagement with the foreign company being costly for the taxpayer.
“I will accept all investors my friend, I will not go there asking for the CV or Christian certificate of the investors. No, am sorry. I am here to promote investment, Kenya is an investment and we need money,” he said.
“We can keep saying that oh you know that this one has been a shadowy past. By the way I meet all investors serious and unserious, shadowy and real, fake and genuine, ”Kuria added.
Kuria mentioned that it was hypocritical to gauge engagements with investors based on their clean conduct explaining that President William Ruto’s administration managed to ink the Sh 500M deal with Moderna based on an open policy.
“In the process of doing that serious one like Moderna, Sh 500M deal. Before I did that how many do you think were on the table, serious and unserious, they were many.Mine is to say come ye all, nyumba kwa baba kuna makao mingi (in the fathers house they are many rooms)”Kuria stated.
In March, Ruto on Thursday announced the establishment of a Sh 67 billion ($500 million) mRNA vaccine facility in Nairobi.
He said Kenya and Moderna have finalized the deal to build the facility, saying it will be the only one in the African Continent.
“It is with pleasure that I announce a finalised deal between Moderna and the Government of Kenya to build a $500 million mRNA vaccine facility in Nairobi area,” said President Ruto.
The Head of State said the project by Moderna will also be their first outside the United States.
“Moderna’s investment will be a catalyst for the medical and pharmaceutical industry in Africa. This is historic. This is big. This is my administration’s vision for the future of Kenya,” he said.
