Eldoret has been rated by the World Bank as the best investor friendly town.

It has also been ranked the third best performing urban area alongside Nairobi and Nakuru.

In a survey conducted by The Institute of Economic Affairs, the City of Champions has displayed all it has with regard to an enabling environment for investors, quality service delivery and prudence in the management of financial resources.

The County Government has ensured that Eldoret meets all the standards that investors consider when choosing an investment destination.

Potential markets, availability of natural resources and raw materials for industrialization has seen a handful of investors set up factories creating an economic hub. The first private economic zone in the Country, the AEZ is located a few kilometers from the city.

Solid waste management has so far been tackled through a partnership between the County Government of Uasin Gishu and Swedish Investors. The project seeks to establish a solid waste management plant which will generate electricity to be injected into the national grid. This means more growth for Eldoret town.

There is an increase in human resource through the readily available human capital due to rural-urban migration brought about by urbanization.

Apart from being the gateway to East and Central Africa, Eldoret serves as the capital of the western region as it hosts various magnificent institutions that serve the entire region. This includes the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret International airport and Moi University among other institutions that serve as a market attraction in the region.

The City of champions enjoys the privilege of being among the cleanest cities, following closely in the footsteps of Kigali Rwanda, which has been rated as the cleanest and the fastest growing economy in Africa. In a couple of years, through the dedication put in place by the county government, Eldoret will definitely be ranked among the Continent’s big cities.

The state of the roads leading in and out of the town has been boosted by development partners such as World Bank in conjunction with the County Government which has enhanced the transport system which is essential in transporting raw materials and commodities for trading. This has captured the attention of investors.

Eldoret enjoys around the clock security system that is further boosted by street lighting which has been spread to areas surrounding the town. This has enhanced a 24-hour economy which has attracted many traders both SME’s and established industries.

The county presents unique opportunities and cuts a competitive edge in the region as a special location for investments.

It stands out because of the following reasons:

Eldoret, an attractive town, built in the centre of the fertile Uasin Gishu plateau, it is situated about half-way between Nairobi and Kampala, the capital cities of Kenya and Uganda respectively. Thus it is strategically located as a regional financial, communication and transportation hub. Major international banks have their regional headquarters in Uasin Gishu.

The County enjoys about 95% mobile phone coverage which is provided by all the major service providers in Kenya. It also has 16 post offices, 4 sub-postal offices and nine licensed service couriers. It is connected to the fibre optic cable thus, giving it access to fast internet connectivity. The availability of these services confirms the County‟s potential for fast economic development and an attractive location for investment.

The county has a good infrastructure and is well connected to other regions of the country as well as neighboring states by road, air and rail.

Established in 1955, Eldoret International Airport is located approximately 17 km, by road, south of the central business district of Eldoret, the administrative headquarters of Uasin Gishu and commercial capital of the North Rift region and has several airlines operating within the airport enabling the tourist to choose one of their choices.

There is also an airstrip that eases air travel to and out of the region.

Uasin Gishu also boasts of 179 Kms of railway line with 8 railway stations. The Kenya-Uganda railway system traverses the great Rift Valley, through the town of Eldoret, enters Uganda at Malaba and passes through Tororo and Jinja to enter Kampala, Uganda’s capital where it is connected to other regional towns.

Uasin Gishu has an extensive road network comprising of over 300 Kms of tarmac roads, 549 Kms of marram and 377 Kms of earth roads. Eldoret town is within the Kenya-Uganda highway. It is connected and is the gateway to the South Sudan among other regions in the East African Community.

Eldoret town is strategically located along Nairobi-Malaba highway making it experience an increase in population and traffic resulting in the need for expansion of the road.

In line with this, Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) has initiated a project for the construction of the Sh5 billion Eldoret Town Bypass.

The 32-kilometer bypass starts from Cheplaskei along Eldoret-Nakuru highway through to Kapseret trading center along Eldoret-Kisumu highway and end at Maili Tisa, on the Uganda road. Eldoret is privileged to be earmarked as one of the flagship Metropolitan Regional Development areas in the Kenya Vision 2030.  The bypass will to ease the congestion usually experienced in Eldoret town.

This will be by diverting most of the traffic away from the commercial center. The construction of the bypass will result in numerous benefits for the local communities and the region at large. The construction of the bypass is projected to be complete by 2021.

The ongoing road expansion will open up the investment opportunities available in Uasin Gishu county key among them agriculture and accommodation facilities for travelers on transit.

The county also hosts Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Eldoret, the country’s second-largest facility that provides health services to residents in the Western Kenya region and also from the neighboring states. The region has a total of 201 health facilities:115 public facilities and 86 private health care institutions.

Education facilities are well developed with 2 public universities namely, Moi University and The University of Eldoret. It also has 2 private universities and constituent colleges of major universities. There is also a National Polytechnic, a Technical Training Institute and several private commercial colleges. In terms of basic education, Uasin Gishu County boasts of over 770 primary schools, 158 secondary schools and 576 ECD centres. Some top secondary schools in Uasin Gishu include Moi Girls High School, Hill School (Primary and Secondary), SOS school, Uasin Gishu (UG) Secondary and Kapsoya secondary all located within Eldoret town. Others are Moiben Boys  High School, Turbo Girls and Kamagut Secondary schools among others.

Eldoret is the financial services hub for the North Rift Region. Currently, more than 30 banks operate from the town. Several microfinance and savings Credit and Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) have opened branches in the region owing to the conducive business opportunities.
Financing for various investment opportunities is readily available from the service providers.

It has leading hospitality facilities, making it conducive for travellers who want to put up in the region. The hospitality of Uasin Gishu residents has seen continued growth in population in the town thus translating to great opportunities for wealth creation. Upcoming high-rise buildings are evidence of thriving economic activities in the town and its environs.
The county boasts of 137 hotels and about 110 restaurants. Most of which offer services that are of international standards.

Uasin-Gishu is considered the home of champions since almost all world beaters have a home in the county. Opportunities exist in the development of sports academies to nurture the budding talent.
The county’s high altitude makes it ideal for development and construction of world-class sports facilities for use by both local and international athletes. Uasin Gishu is the only town in the world where tourists can come to visit and see athletes training in the fields every day. Unique high training facilities are major ingredients for the splendid performance of these athletes. These includes Rosa Training Centre, Chagaiya High altitude Centre and Kipchoge Stadium.

Agriculture is the lifeline and the main economic activity of Uasin Gishu County and according to Africa Agriculture Status Report 2017, farming is a proven path to prosperity. Uasin Gishu is described as Kenya’s breadbasket. Large and medium scale Maize and wheat farms contribute to the national food security. Opportunities exist for capacity building and technology transfer to support the farming activities.

The county seeks investors for joint venture partnerships with farmers to develop milk processing plants.
The favorable climatic conditions and availability of agricultural land in the county heavily supports the sector.
Residents of Eldoret town and those from the neighboring counties provide a good market for the dairy products.
Furthermore, Investors can also take advantage of the regional markets due to the proximity of the county to the markets and the location of Eldoret town that sits along the Northern Corridor.

The county produces quality passion fruits that are currently being exported to Uganda.
Opportunities exist in ventures that support the growth of the sector particularly large-scale farming and construction of fruit processing plants.

The Eldoret International Airport provides a good avenue for meat Exports. Opportunities exist in assisting in the construction of modern abattoirs. Investors will heavily benefit from the meat export business especially to the Middle East where huge demand exists.

There are 102 trading centres with six of them being urban centres and towns. The six are Burnt Forest, Matunda, Turbo, Moiben, Kesses and Kapseret. The urban centres have emerged and grown without proper physical planning. Undesirable developments including informal settlements have mushroomed with their growth. The infrastructural facilities including roads and water supply are insufficient to meet the demands of the growing population.