The companies signed a Shareholders Agreement at State House in Nairobi in the presence of President William Ruto, building on a partnership announced in August. The agreement establishes the ownership framework behind the project and moves the planned development towards implementation.
The first phase will cover 40 hectares, while the full industrial park is designed to attract foreign direct investment, increase local manufacturing capacity and connect businesses in Kenya more closely with regional and international markets. The site is less than 20 kilometres from the Port of Mombasa, placing manufacturing, warehousing and distribution activity close to one of East Africa’s principal maritime gateways.
More than 60 local and international companies have expressed interest in taking space in the special economic zone, according to the project partners. The completed development is expected to support more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, although the final employment impact will depend on investment take-up and the pace at which businesses establish operations.
The agreement was signed on September 8, and the project involves the Mombasa County Government alongside the two private partners. At the ceremony, Ruto presented a developer’s licence connected to the special economic zone. The government has also linked its support to infrastructure and lower utility costs, measures intended to improve the competitiveness of manufacturers locating in the park and encourage export-oriented investment from domestic and overseas businesses.
Ruto said the government would provide infrastructure needed to make the industrial development competitive and would seek to lower production costs so goods made in Kenya could compete across regional and global markets. He described the arrangement involving DP World, GulfCap Africa and the Mombasa County Government as an example of public and private collaboration around industrial investment.
The president also announced a preferential electricity tariff of 10 Kenyan shillings per kilowatt-hour for investors in special economic zones, part of an effort to reduce operating costs for manufacturers. Energy prices have been a significant concern for industrial investors seeking to compete with producers in lower-cost markets.
DP World said the Mombasa project forms part of its strategy to build integrated industrial and logistics infrastructure in Kenya and strengthen trade links across East Africa. Essa Kazim, the group’s chairman, said the investment was intended to create infrastructure that could attract industries and connect businesses with markets across Africa and beyond.
Mohammed Akoojee, DP World’s chief executive and managing director for Africa, said combining industrial capacity with logistics infrastructure should help companies reach markets more efficiently while providing a platform for new manufacturing investment. The company is seeking to deepen its role beyond transport and cargo handling by linking ports, industrial sites, warehousing and distribution networks.
GulfCap Africa founder Suleiman Shahbal said the park was designed to bring infrastructure, logistics and investment together in one industrial ecosystem. He said the expected employment effect would extend beyond companies operating inside the zone through suppliers, contractors and service businesses.
The developers expect the project to create opportunities for local suppliers and small and medium-sized enterprises, including companies seeking access to larger regional and global supply chains. Businesses in the zone are also expected to benefit from Kenya’s trade arrangements, including the African Continental Free Trade Area, its Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
The development comes as Kenya seeks additional export-oriented manufacturing investment and more efficient links between production centres and transport infrastructure. Mombasa’s port handles cargo for Kenya and several landlocked economies in the region, giving industrial facilities near the coast potential access to both domestic and transit markets.
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