The investment, aimed at three industrial and export parks and a local textiles firm, is part of Kenya’s broader push to attract overseas capital and create jobs as it solidifies its position as east Africa’s largest economy.
“Our total investment in these projects is going to be upwards of about $3 billion,” Nikhil Gandhi, AriseIIP’s executive director in charge of special economic zones development, told Reuters on the sidelines of an investment conference.
“We are looking to attract global companies from more than 14 countries globally to set up their manufacturing base here.”
The funds will be allocated to two export zones along Kenya’s coast, a third in the Rift Valley town of Naivasha, and to the Rivatex textiles firm.
Kenya’s growing appeal to overseas investors
AriseIIP, owned by Afreximbank’s private equity arm (FEDA), the Africa Finance Corporation, Saudi Arabia’s Vision Invest, and UAE-based Equitane Group, has previously invested in Benin and Gabon, but this marks its first entry into Kenya.
Dozens of firms from China, Lebanon, and India have already expressed interest, though Gandhi declined to name them.
He highlighted how geopolitical shifts could benefit African markets: “War in Iran and U.S. tariff hikes could actually benefit some African countries as supply chains change. People will shift value chains to this continent. In the context of where Kenya lies, I can already see a tectonic shift.”
With rising foreign interest, the country is leveraging its strategic location, infrastructure, and investor-friendly policies to attract high-value projects, signaling a new phase of economic expansion.
Such large-scale deals could accelerate job creation and improve Kenya’s competitiveness in regional and global supply chains, especially in sectors like textiles, minerals, and electric vehicles.