British American Tobacco to Establish Plant in Nairobi

Source from:  Nairobi, Kenya, 01/29 02/07/2006

British American Tobacco Company (BAT) has unveiled plans to relocate part of its cigarette manufacturing section from Europe to Nairobi to tap Africa`s growing market, a senior Kenyan Treasury official announced here on Saturday. Finance Minister, David Mwiraria explained that the new BAT processing and manufacturing plant targeted the company`s market in East and Central Africa as well as the horn of Africa. He expressed Kenya`s gratitude towards BAT for accepting to invest US$12 million to establish the manufacturing plant in Nairobi. He said the manufacturing industry would boost government revenue and increase employment opportunities for Kenyans. The minister was speaking at Meru, Eastern Kenya where he commissioned a health facility, constructed by the BAT at a cost of over US$10,000. Mwiraria also commended BAT for initiating 17 projects in health facilities in the country. Meanwhile, BAT`s managing director Simon Wellford disclosed that the company would provide 4.5 million three seedlings to tobacco farmers this year in a bid to conserve environment. Wellford disclosed that Kenyan tobacco farmers earned approximately $1.3 million from the sale of the crop last year. Enditem