[SIZE=7]Kenya Square: Moses Kuria’s Statement on Opening 17-Acre Hub Ignites Debate[/SIZE]
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[li]By GEOFFREY LUTTA on 3 March 2023 - 3:40 pm[/li]
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Trade and Investment Cabinet Moses Kuria, on Thursday, March 2, announced plans to set up a shopping hub known as Kenya Square.
According to the CS, the hub would have 17 acres of reserved space for traders.
The former Gatundu South Member of Parliament, however, indicated that the traders would be required to sell only Kenyan products.
“Strictly for products produced in Kenya,” a poster shared by Kuria read in part.
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Kenya Square poster shared by Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
To access the spaces, traders would be required to book them in advance. Kuria insisted that the spaces would be reserved for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to spur the economy.
According to the poster, the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry, Department of Business Reforms, and Transformation and Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) would support the new initiative.
However, Kuria left traders in dilemma after failing to disclose when the hub would be opened and its location.
His announcement reached over 530,000 people and attracted over 1,200 Twitter responses.
Dennis Itumbi, Digital Strategists, lauded the Trade CS, noting that the initiative was key to promoting ‘Buy Kenya, Build Kenya,’ marketing tag.
Others praised Kuria, insisting that he was cultivating a culture of business competitiveness which was key to spurring development.
“We need such kind of competitiveness, honestly. Let’s see whose will be cheaper,” Austin Tunoi stated.
“How do we book waziri? Wonderful initiative,” Wanjiku Thiga posed.
Social media users with various online businesses capitalized on the reaction to share the products and also express their willingness to support Kuria’s initiative.