Wamuzi News KeKenyan senators have raised alarming concerns over President William Ruto’s flagship County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs), warning that the Sh23.5 billion initiative is teetering on the verge of collapse—threatening to become yet another costly “white elephant” project.
In a tense Senate session, lawmakers demanded an immediate halt to construction in 31 counties until a comprehensive master plan and feasibility study are completed. The move comes after revelations that only 16 counties have advanced beyond the initial phase—leaving half the country with empty shells of industrial complexes.
Key Red Flags Raised
1. Stalled progress & idle infrastructure
Auditor-General reports and media investigations reveal that numerous CAIPs have been left abandoned. In some counties, “just empty halls with nothing inside,” Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa warned, highlighting vast, unused structures that failed to generate jobs or attract investors.
Nationwide assessments show facilities in counties such as Meru, Nakuru, Mombasa, Nyeri, Laikipia, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Siaya have either stalled or remained untouched since their launch.
2. Land disputes & procurement flaws
Senators voiced dismay over unresolved land ownership issues, most notably Vihiga’s park overlapping Kenya Railways property. Questions were also raised about the extent of county governments’ involvement in procurement, with inadequate public participationfueling concerns over transparency .
3. Absence of feasibility studies and master planning
Trade CS Lee Kinyanjui admitted that pre-launch planning was bypassed, acknowledging critical omissions. Senators are now demanding that future expansion waits upon receipt of a national master plan and detailed county-level feasibility reports.
The Bigger Picture: A Familiar Kenyan Crisis
Experts and public watchdogs have drawn parallels with other stalled county projects—such as the Sh500 million market in Nakuru and the Nakuru trauma centre—where infrastructure lay idle due to poor planning and lack of local buy-in. These so-called “white elephants” echo across counties, reminding citizens of the recurring cycle of public funds being wasted.
Journalists have lamented that while political heads race to launch glamorous industrial parks, the on-ground reality tells a different, more troubling story.
Political Fallout & Urgent Demands
With the launch of the Western Kenya Investment Conference postponed and government introducing measures like concessionary finance to reignite interest, momentum appears to be elusive.
Senators are pushing for:
- A moratorium on new CAIP construction in unequipped counties.
- A complete audit of existing spending and procurement processes.
- A publicly reviewed master plan, accompanied by independent feasibility studies for each of the remaining counties.
They argue that without these measures, the CAIPs run the risk of repeating mistakes that have plagued past county projects—leaving taxpayers footing the bill for mothballed facilities and broken promises.
Moving Forward: A Moment of Reckoning
At stake is more than infrastructure. This is a pivotal test of Kenya’s federalism, fiscal discipline, and the ability of its devolved units to execute ambitious projects. Will Ruto’s administration heed these warnings and inject realism into the CAIP rollout? Or will this signal yet another chapter in Kenya’s landscape of incomplete, underutilized public assets?
The full Senate report on CAIP progress is expected in the coming weeks—and with it, perhaps, a chance to steer this initiative back on track before it becomes just another white elephant.
