Tatu City’s mixed-use Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will be used as a case study to guide policy review on the establishment of SEZs in Uganda and at the East African Community level.
This follows the conclusion of a third benchmarking visit by a delegation of Ugandan government executives and parliamentarians led by Permanent Secretary for Treasury Mr Ramathan Ggoobi, who described the city as a success story with rapid development, long-term investment and job creation.
“Tatu City emerged from our conversations with Uganda’s SEZ Authority and Kenya Investment Authority. We are here because Kenya is a leader in Special Economic Zones, and we believe Tatu City will provide us with a good opportunity to learn a few things, especially on best practices of creating an environment for investors, which is comfortable, competitive and gives them a good return on investment,”
PS Ggoobi said.
He added:
“We aim to upgrade our engagement with Kenya, become a region of choice for quality investors and transform this region economically. We have resolved to go and have more conversations at the EAC level with a view of eliminating the few remaining hurdles to actualizing SEZs.”
During a briefing session with the Ugandan delegation, Tatu City’s Executive Vice President Solomon Mahinda described the benchmarking visit as a demonstration by the EAC Community of a readiness to collaborate among members, and, most importantly, to accelerate the ease of doing business within member states.
“There is enormous potential for regional cooperation on the regulatory environment for SEZs to spur investment, trade and, most importantly, job creation,. This consultative approach amongst EAC member states at government level, where there’s active participation by public and private sector players, increases our confidence that the region is on the right trajectory towards creating a conducive investment environment ”
said Mahinda.
Earlier in the week, another delegation from Uganda’s Parliamentary Finance Committee visited Tatu City and expressed a desire to accelerate efforts to harmonize trade regulations within the EAC to support the region’s growth and development. The visit followed a similar one by the country’s Parliamentary Budget Committee in July, which is formulating laws and policies to guide the development of SEZs in Uganda.
Located just 30 minutes from Central Nairobi, Tatu City has two schools – Crawford International and Nova Pioneer – which educate more than 3,000 students daily, thousands of apartments by Unity Homes and family residences in Kijani Ridge. Roast by Carnivore, a restaurant by Tamarind Group, the country’s leading hospitality operator, is open at the entrance to Tatu City. Eneo at Tatu Central, Tatu City’s first commercial office and retail complex, will be completed in 2023, with CCI Global as its anchor tenant.
Kenya’s first operational Special Economic Zone, Tatu City, has welcomed more than 70 companies to its business-friendly location, including Dormans, Copia, Cooper K-Brands, Maxxam, Twiga Foods, and Freight Forwarders Solutions, Friendship Group, Davis & Shirtliff and KWAL.
