President William Ruto has officially launched the establishment of the Vipingo Special Economic Zone (VSEZ) in Kilifi County.

The 2,000-acre project is set to attract Sh390 billion in investments.

According to the President the project will also create employment opportunities in the country.

He also called on African countries to reduce the importation of various commodities and instead add value to the locally produced goods.

“I want to ask African countries to do some value addition to domestically produced commodities. Products such as Cocoa, tea and other commercial commodities will ” he said.

The President noted that the initiative will also address the challenges of unemployment in the country.

He also noted that the government has put in place policy interventions that are aimed at creating the correct fiscal and financial ecosystems to support this enterprise.” said H.E Dr. Ruto.

On his part, Arise IIP Founder and CEO, Mr. Gagan Gupta, highlighted Kenya’s growing importance as a regional industrial and logistics hub:

He further pointed out that Kenya’s strategic location, skilled workforce, and supportive investment climate makes it an ideal destination for long-term growth. 

“We are committed to collaborating with both the government and private sector to unlock the country’s potential and drive sustainable industrialization that creates jobs.

Gagan indicated that the company seeks to build local value chains, and strengthen Kenya’s position in regional and global trade.

Meanwhile, James Mworia, CEO of Centum Investment Company, highlighted the long-term economic benefits of the project:

“Vipingo SEZ provides an opportunity to close a critical gap: linking our trade agreements to investment and to production. Kenya has signed strong trade agreements with the EU, UK, US, and across Africa through AfCFTA.” he said.

ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) is a Dubai-based pan-African infrastructure developer and operator dedicated to creating sustainable industrial ecosystems.

The developer has been active in more than 14 countries, ARISE IIP designs, finances, builds, and manages custom industrial zones that strengthen local value chains, promote exports, and generate long-term employment.

The Vipingo SEZ, will serve as a hub for manufacturing, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, logistics, and other industries.

It will provide infrastructure support, including a commercial zone with plots for retail development, a warehouse zone offering Grade A warehousing space of up to 200,000 SQM, and a residential zone with plots for villas and worker dormitories.