Siaya Governor James Orengo has announced the launch of the inaugural Siaya International Trade & Investment Conference (SITICO), set to run from October 14 to 17, 2025. The event, themed “Positioning Siaya as an Investment Destination: Transformative Growth through Trade and Investment,” aims to attract millions in investment while creating employment opportunities for young people across the county.
Speaking during a press briefing, Governor Orengo said the conference will serve as a flagship platform to showcase Siaya as a hub for trade, innovation, and enterprise. “This flagship conference will position Siaya as a key destination for investment and enterprise, translating ambition into projects that create jobs, expand markets, and improve lives,” he said.
The conference, anchored in Siaya’s 2023-2027 development plan, will bring together investors, innovators, policy makers, and community leaders to explore high-potential opportunities across key sectors. These include agriculture and the blue economy, manufacturing and value addition, renewable energy, tourism and hospitality, health, ICT/BPO, education, mining, and financial services.
Participants will engage in keynote addresses, plenary sessions, sector breakouts, exhibitions, B2B deal rooms, and project site visits. The county is promising stakeholders a pipeline of investment-ready projects, including agro-industrial parks, rice and cotton value chains, fish and omena processing plants, edible oil production, clean energy initiatives, eco-tourism circuits, logistics at Gombe Airstrip, and modernization of water schemes.
Governor Orengo emphasized that SITICO will not only attract domestic and foreign direct investment but also secure sustainable partnerships. “Our goal is to catalyze enterprise growth and secure bankable commitments that will transform livelihoods in Siaya,” he noted.
The announcement marks a strong comeback for the governor, who had recently kept a low profile, sparking concerns over his health and leadership. On Friday, Orengo presided over the groundbreaking of the Ukwala Sub-County Hospital Complex in Ugenya, a facility that will feature a radiology unit, operating theatre, laboratory, accident and emergency wing, and a 50-bed maternity ward.
Governor Orengo called on stakeholders to seize the opportunity to register, exhibit, and pitch their ideas, underscoring that SITICO will be a game changer in positioning Siaya as a leading destination for investment and inclusive growth.
