In Kenya, ARISE IIP Establishes a Multibillion Dollar Industrial Development Zone.

Posted on : Tuesday , 4th November 2025

The Pan-African developer and operator of premier integrated industrial zones, ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), has formally opened an office in Kenya. The corporation is creating industrial parks and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Kilifi, Mombasa, Naivasha, and Eldoret, which is a major step in Kenya's economic diversification and industrial transformation.

Kenya has established itself as a competitive hub for trade, production, and export within the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) thanks to the establishment of these flagship zones, which represent a significant investment in the nation's manufacturing sector. Additionally, the zones will use agreements like the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to get preferential access to international markets.

George Olaka, CEO of ARISE IIP Kenya, reiterated the company's dedication to assisting the government's development plan while speaking at a media breakfast in Nairobi.

"Kenya, with its robust policy framework and favorable industrialization environment, is the gateway to East Africa and beyond." In addition to giving businesses the ecosystem and infrastructure they require to compete on a worldwide scale, our integrated industrial platforms seek to draw in both domestic and foreign investment," he stated.

In September, ARISE IIP unveiled its first project in Kenya: the 824-hectare Vipingo Special Economic Zone, an industrial park in Kilifi County that was created in partnership with Centum Investment Company. Future initiatives being planned in collaboration with the Kenyan government and Afreximbank include the Coast Integrated Industrial Park in the Dongo Kundu SEZ (Mombasa) and the Great Rift Industrial Park in the Naivasha SEZ (Nakuru).

ARISE IIP's 21-year lease of Rivatex East Africa SEZ Limited in Eldoret, Kenya's top textile manufacturing hub, is another significant step. The alliance, which was announced in October, demonstrates the company's dedication to reviving Kenya's cotton, textile, and apparel (CTA) value chain, an industry with substantial job creation and export growth potential.

The country's foreign exchange position will stabilize, jobs will be created, and the tax base will grow as we develop our cotton and garment value chain. We are creating a comprehensive textile hub with an impact both upstream and downstream—from cotton growers to spinners, weavers, clothing manufacturers, and accessory manufacturers—through our 21-year lease of Rivatex," Mr. Olaka continued.

Once fully operational, investments across the four industrial platforms are anticipated to create at least 500,000 indirect employment and more than 100,000 direct jobs, unlocking over USD 3 billion in industrial development.

A strong investor financing mechanism, based on a $800 million joint facility between KCB Bank Kenya and Afreximbank, supports the company's activities in Kenya. This facility shows that local and foreign financiers have a great deal of faith in ARISE IIP's industrialization approach. It also makes cash easily accessible for investors who want to set up shop within the company's industrial ecosystems.

Because of the size of our initiatives, cooperation between the public and commercial sectors as well as development financing organizations is essential. We can move closer to our common objective of creating an industrialized, globally competitive Africa if we work together," Mr. Olaka said.

Presently, ARISE IIP runs 20 industrial platforms in 14 African nations, turning raw materials into completed goods for local and international markets.