Orengo back into public limelight with launch of Siaya International Trade Conference
FROM LEFT: Ms Grace Agola, County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Enterprise, Cooperatives, and Industrialization, Chief Officer for Trade and Agriculture Ms Elizabeth Adongo, MCA Siaya Township Obiero Otare and County Secretary Joseph Ogutu among other County officials. PHOTO| COURTESY
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Siaya Governor James Orengo has stepped back into the national limelight with the launch of an ambitious trade and investment plan that seeks to transform his county into a leading investment hub.
After months of keeping a low profile, Orengo on Friday announced the Siaya International Trade and Investment Conference (SITICO 2025), slated for October 14–17, in what he described as a flagship platform to unlock jobs, markets, and new opportunities for Siaya residents.
The Governor disclosed that President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga will jointly officiate the four-day event, terming their endorsement a vote of confidence in the county’s readiness to attract investors.
“This conference is our flagship platform to position Siaya as a key destination for investment and enterprise—translating ambition into projects that create jobs, expand markets, and improve lives,” Orengo said.
Themed “Positioning Siaya as an Investment Destination: Transformative Growth through Trade and Investment,” SITICO 2025 will convene investors, innovators, policymakers, and community leaders from across Kenya and beyond.
Over three days, delegates will engage in keynote sessions, sectoral breakouts, exhibitions, B2B deal rooms, site visits, and public–private partnership forums.
Sectors lined up for spotlight include agriculture and blue economy, manufacturing, renewable energy, ICT and BPO, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, mining, tourism, education and skills development.
“Our goal is simple and measurable: catalyze domestic and foreign direct investment, accelerate enterprise growth, and secure bankable commitments that move from memorandum to machinery, from intent to impact,” the Governor told journalists.
Beyond the conference, Orengo revealed that Siaya is also positioning itself as host of a nuclear power plant, a landmark facility under Kenya’s broader strategy to expand electricity generation and meet the demands of industrialisation.
Speaking after a recent meeting with Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) officials, Orengo said the county is ready to host the project, adding that nuclear energy was safe and vital for powering Kenya’s future.
“We have been comparing figures with other forms of energy, hydro, wind, solar and the data do not lie. What is clear is that nuclear power plants are safe, and nuclear energy is not just about power generation. It extends to technology, science, and nuclear medicine. I am proud to say Siaya is taking leadership, with the support of the national government, in bringing this dream to reality,” Orengo said.
He acknowledged public concerns about nuclear energy but insisted the benefits far outweighed the risks.
“Looking at the big picture, where nuclear power drives economies across the world, it’s a risk I can take. Even the old Soviet-era plants had very few accidents compared to the many modern nuclear plants running safely across the globe. In fact, much of the shiny skylines of Dubai and the Gulf would have been impossible without nuclear energy,” the Governor added.
At SITICO 2025, Siaya will showcase a pipeline of ready-to-invest projects in agro-industrial parks, rice and cotton value chains, fish processing, edible oils, solar and mini-hydro power, the Lake Kanyaboli Eco-City, Gombe Airstrip expansion, pharmaceutical manufacturing, water modernization, and ICT/BPO hubs.
According to Orengo, investors can expect flexible financing structures, spanning PPPs, equity, debt, blended finance, and impact investment—to de-risk entry and accelerate rollout.
Siaya is banking on its governance record to woo capital. The county has been ranked the third best in timely contractor payments by the Controller of Budget, placed among the least likely to solicit bribes by the EACC, and commended for its strong expenditure-to-development ratio—a sign of fiscal discipline and commitment to growth.
“Siaya is open for business. We are a reform-minded administration focused on ease of doing business, transparency, and results,” Orengo said.
The Governor urged the private sector, cooperatives, academia, and the diaspora to seize the SITICO platform to pitch, network, and exhibit. Development agencies and financiers are invited to roundtables aimed at structuring catalytic, blended solutions that crowd in private capital at scale.
“SITICO 2025 is more than an event—it is a call to action. Let us convert potential into performance and set a new standard for county-level investment leadership in Kenya and across the region,” the Governor said.
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