NAIROBI, Mar 26 – Dubai-based AriseIIP plans to invest more than $3 billion in Kenya over the next five years, targeting industrial parks and manufacturing projects aimed at boosting exports and job creation.
The investment will be channelled into three industrial and export zones as well as the Rivatex textiles firm, according to company executives. Two of the parks will be located along Kenya’s coast, while a third will be developed in Naivasha in the Rift Valley.
Speaking on the sidelines of an investment conference, Executive Director Nikhil Gandhi said the projects are expected to attract manufacturers from more than 14 countries, as Kenya positions itself as a regional production hub.
AriseIIP will provide between 30% and 40% of the funding in exchange for equity, with the remaining capital to be raised through debt financing from development finance institutions and other lenders.
In addition, the firm is partnering with KCB Group and Afreximbank to establish an $800 million financing facility. The fund will support companies setting up operations within the industrial zones once they are completed.
The investment marks AriseIIP’s first entry into Kenya, adding to its existing projects in countries such as Benin and Gabon. The company is backed by a group of investors including Africa Finance Corporation, Saudi Arabia’s Vision Invest and UAE-based Equitane Group.
Dozens of firms from China, Lebanon and India have already expressed interest in the planned zones, reflecting growing appetite for manufacturing opportunities in East Africa.
Executives say shifting global supply chains, driven in part by geopolitical tensions and changing trade policies, are expected to increase investor interest in African production hubs, particularly in sectors such as textiles, minerals and electric vehicles.
