Veteran opposition and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga has made a promise to the residents of Kisumu county.
Speaking at the Opoda Farm on Saturday during an agricultural fair, Raila promised that the moribund Kisumu Cotton Mills (KICOMI) would be revived by the government soon.
He said that the Cabinet secretary in charge of industrialisation would descend on Kisumu to see how the revival can be initiated.
"Next week the minister of industrialisation will come to Kisumu to look at KICOMI. KICOMI should be revived and be put under the supervision of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga UNiversity. (Wiki ijayo Waziri wa Viwanda atakuja Kisumu kuangalia KICOMI. KICOMI ifufushwe iwekwe chini ya usimamizi ya Chuo Kikuu cha Jaramogi Oginga Odinga ya hapa Bondo.)," the ODM leader said.
KICOMI collapsed in the 90s due to mismanagement.
The prospect of a revival will come as a great relief to farmers and residents who have long called for intervention to have it revived.
Raila said that its revival would boost the local economy as it will create jobs for the residents.
KICOMI's impending revival has been hailed as a byproduct of the handshake between the former prime minister and President Uhuru Kenyatta who were erstwhile political adversaries.