Rwanda to construct logistic hub in Mai Mahiu SEZ

Rwanda has joined the list of countries and Investors who have committed to investing in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mai Mahiu,Naivasha.

The landlocked country will invest in a logistics hub in a bid to fast track the transportation of goods from the Port of Mombasa through the use of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

This came as the number of international and local Investors who have shown interest in the industrial park hit twenty four from 15 early in the year.

According to the Minister for Trade and Foreign Affairs in Rwanda Dr Usta Kayitesi, the logistic hub would facilitate trade involvement in an effective way.

Speaking during a visit to the SEZ, she said that the Northern Corridor had been key in enabling the process and ease of doing business.

“We are grateful to the Government of Kenya who donated for the logistic hub and it’s going to ease and facilitate our trade that leads to the impact that we are looking for,” said Kayitesi.

Dr Kayitesi further noted that the facility was going to shorten the distance and ease the moving of cargo from the port of Mombasa through the SEZ and to Rwanda directly.

“We are a landlocked country and this becomes one of the best accesses that we have and currently Rwanda receives a lot of exports from Kenya, above $300m,” she said.

On his part, the CEO SEZ Authority Dr Kenneth Chelule said that over 24 investors had shown interest in the industrial park with the number expected to rise further.

Chelule said that the SEZ was attracting at least four investors every quarter and pointed to the SGR, availability of electricity and water for the numbers.

“We are putting up 600 units of houses for workers that will work here and we are building a school, a hospital, there is a security unit and a commercial centre,” he said.

He added that there was a vast range of investment incentives, ranging from corporation tax, which is around 10% for the first 10 years, 15% for the next 10 years, and then 30% after 10 years.

On his part, Dr John Diir, the Executive Director for Northern Corridor, said that feasibility studies undertaken have indicated that the region will see huge growth in cargo transport.

Diir noted that cargo handling at the port of Mombasa was expected to increase from the current 15 million metric tonnes annually to 40 million metric tonnes in the next five years.

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