The county government of Kisii has signed a memorandum of understanding that will see an Asian sugar company establish a sugar processing factory in South Mugirango sub-county.
Asiatic Oxygen Ltd is expected to produce 86,000 metric tons of sugar, 7 million liters of ethanol and 10MW of power that will be fed to the national grid.
County Governor James Ongwae on Wednesday said the factory will be completed by 2018 and is expected to create over 1,000 jobs to local and over 2,500 additional indirect jobs.
“We have agreed with Asiatic Oxygen and as a county, we expect them to complete the factory by 2018. It will create at least 1000 jobs for our local people and an additional 2500 indirect jobs,” said Mr Ongwae.
He said the construction of the factory will ease problems facing cane farmers among then delayed harvesting and high transportation costs.
“I know the problems our farmers have been going through. The factory will literally combat delayed harvesting of sugar and high cost of transportation,” added Mr Ongwae.
Kanoria Group chief finance officer Void Vora and senior general manager of Asiatic Oxygen Ram Prasad Minshra represented the company.
Asiatic Oxygen Company was started in 1954 in India as a public limited company, specialising in production of sugar and related products.