Chakwera lures Kenya’s largest juice maker to invest in Malawi
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has asked Kenya’s largest juice maker, Kimani Rugendo, to consider investing in Malawi where fruits are readily available to serve as his raw material for his business.
Chakwera made the sentiments when he met Rugendo in Kenya on Tuesday on his way back from the United Kingdom (UK) where he attended the coronation of King Charles III.
“I have urged Mr Rugendo to consider Malawi as his next investment destination because we have a large contingent of fruit farmers across the country whose abundant yield is a readily-available raw material in the agro-processing operations. I am glad that Mr Rugendo has assured me to explore where within our market can his venture make a positive difference. He is also considering bringing on board other Kenyan private sector players to follow suit,” wrote the Malawi leader on his Facebook page.
Rugendo is founder and chairman of Kevian Kenya Limited, which is one of the largest juice-makers in Eastern Africa.
During his meeting with President Chakwera, Rugendo was accompanied to the meeting by anti-corruption advocate Professor PLO Lumumba who recently was a keynote speaker at the National Anti-Corruption Symposium in Blantyre.
Meanwhile, Chakwera has assured the investors that his administration will continue putting in place investment-friendly policies to create a conducive environment for business growth, increased exports leading to more forex, job creation and better livelihoods for Malawians.
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This is a good investment for Malawi. We have lots of sweet fruits which are wasted. Processing them into bottled juice is something we have been waiting for….
I love the idea of calling for investors to come to Malawi in order to open up their businesses. This may turn our country into an exporting one. Obviously busting our economy.
But, I really agree not with the idea of cheap labor.
Establishment of cooperatives where most fruits are being produced and support them with machinery for juice production can be the best option.
Good News
But work out on corruption is killing the nation and it will not be able for Malawi to forget the HIS Exell HKB
The leader from God Really
Really, why not just helping fellow Malawians with better bank loans to do the job.
Your thinking is very good idea not calling out sides instead to help Malawian to get loans in banks not 500pin they thinking is big money instead give loans to those who can do that
We should be doing this ourselves by empowering the farmers.
Why not setup a Malawian Company? We are taking pride in inviting fellow African States to exploit us. The other time we were encouraging farmers to plant more soya because it is required by Tanzania.
Let’s wake up from this slumber.
That’s what came into my mind….We have to work on our own company for this, we have the capacity and capability for this!!! They will just be using our raw materials and they will be the one benefiting more
My very highly esteemed President, I wish to offer a dissenting opinion to your appeal to the Kenyan Mr Rugendo to come and build a JUICE FACTORY IN MALAWI. I am happy to offer a more sustainable, dignified and empowering solution. Not the one your Advisors may have drafted for you my beloved President! That is retrogressive. Not progressive.
Y not us investing this. We can do t and add value to our products for export. Government and private sector can do it surely. Are you not seeing capital flight there????
This is not a fair decision. Why can’t he encouraged Malawians to do the same by giving us soft loans? We have the capacity and all what we need is to be boosted by mere providing soft loans with less MRA VAT.