Murang'a governor Irungu Kang'ata has said he is hoping to take advantage of the tariff wars between the US and China to attract investments in his county.
Kang'ata said he hopes to attract Chinese investors because of lower tariffs, not just in Murang'a, but in Kenya and Africa as a whole.
"Currently, China has the biggest manufacturing sector. It is the leading manufacturer in the world, but because of the tariffs which are being put up by America, the largest market in the world, that is now incentivising Chinese manufacturing to move out of China and come and set up business here in Africa. Therefore, Murang'a wants to position itself as the premier choice for Chinese manufacturers."
At the same time, the governor said they are looking forward to collaborations with the US to boost the local health sector.
"As a county, we are also pursuing relations with the US for collaborations in the healthcare system, including the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products and setting up nursing homes," said Kang'ata, who spoke during an interview with Citizen TV on Sunday night.
The governor said that the latest tiff between the two superpowers over tariffs presented a perfect opportunity for Murang'a to position itself to take up some of the manufacturing needs.
After weeks of tariff war between the two nations that peaked at 145 per cent, a temporary truce was reached in May, bringing down US tariffs on Chinese products to 30 per cent, while China slashed levies on US imports to 10 per cent and promised to lift barriers on critical mineral exports.
Kang'ata noted that his deputy, Stephen Munania, and the Speaker of the county assembly, Johnson Mukuha had already visited the US for talks on possible collaborations in health.
Besides creating jobs through the collaborations, Kang'ata stated that the county plans to utilise its position as a top agriculture producer in the country, to add value to the items they already export for better returns.
Currently, Murang'a is the number one exporter of avocados, the number two coffee exporter, and the number one small-scale tea producer.
The governor will be hosting an investment conference in the county between June 13 and 14 as he continues the push to unlock Murang'a as an industrial hub.
In April, the county government met with US-based Kenyans in Washington, DC and Boston ahead of the investment conference, even as trade relations between Kenya and the US face several setbacks since President Donald Trump resumed presidency earlier this year.
"Muranga is looking for investments from the United States of America. Kenyan diaspora are encouraged to consider attending the 1st Muranga Investment Conference on 13th/14th June 2025, Thika Greens, Muranga, and investing – e.g., the healthcare sector and nursing homes," he announced.
