Kenya is seeking to attract Chinese investment into manufacturing, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals and electric mobility as Nairobi positions the country as a regional production hub serving the wider African market.
Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui said Kenya was offering Chinese companies an opportunity to establish production facilities that would serve not only the domestic economy but also regional and continental markets under the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the Kenya–China Investor Roundtable in Beijing, Kinyanjui said the government was prioritising investments capable of generating employment, transferring technology, strengthening local supply chains and increasing exports.
“Kenya offers Chinese investors more than a market for their products. We offer a strategic manufacturing hub with access to the vast African market,” Kinyanjui said.
The roundtable brought together senior government officials, representatives of the China-Africa Development Fund (CADFund) and Chinese enterprises to explore investment opportunities and strengthen commercial partnerships between the two countries.
Kinyanjui said Kenya was targeting capital and technical expertise from China to accelerate industrial development, expand domestic production and increase the value of locally available raw materials.
The sectors presented to potential investors included manufacturing, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, automotive production, electric mobility, mining, energy and logistics. These industries are expected to play a role in diversifying Kenya’s exports, reducing reliance on imported finished goods and creating employment opportunities for young people.
“China’s remarkable progress in manufacturing, technology and infrastructure offers valuable lessons. We are keen on partnerships that bring capital, technology and expertise to Kenya, establish industries and create jobs for our people,” he said.
The investment drive comes as African economies seek to expand regional trade, strengthen industrial capacity and capture a greater share of value from their natural resources and agricultural production.
For Kenya, attracting manufacturers could help deepen industrialisation by encouraging companies to process agricultural commodities locally, develop pharmaceutical production capacity and assemble vehicles and electric mobility equipment for domestic and export markets.
Agro-processing presents opportunities to connect manufacturers with farmers and agricultural cooperatives, while investments in pharmaceuticals and automotive production could support the development of specialised skills, technical training and domestic supplier networks.
Kenya is also seeking to leverage its regional trade arrangements to attract investors looking for a production base with access to multiple African markets. The EAC and COMESA provide regional trading frameworks, while the AfCFTA is designed to progressively reduce barriers to intra-African trade and create a single continental market.
Kinyanjui said the government wanted investments that would deliver measurable economic benefits beyond the initial capital inflows.
“Our priority is investment that delivers tangible benefits through job creation, skills transfer, stronger local supply chains and opportunities for MSMEs,” he said.
The emphasis on local supply chains reflects the government’s ambition to ensure that foreign investment creates opportunities for Kenyan businesses, including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), rather than operating as isolated production facilities with limited links to the domestic economy.
The roundtable was organised at the Embassy of Kenya in Beijing in collaboration with CADFund and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), a Chinese infrastructure company with an established presence in Kenya.
The engagement was intended to translate investor interest into concrete investment commitments, although details of specific projects, financing agreements and expected investment values were not provided in the announcement.
China remains an important economic partner for Kenya, particularly in infrastructure development, trade and construction. Nairobi is seeking to broaden that relationship by encouraging greater investment in productive industries that can expand exports, create jobs and support technology transfer.
The success of the initiative will depend on Kenya’s ability to convert investor interest into operating factories, competitive production costs, reliable infrastructure and a business environment that supports long-term investment.
For Kenya, the broader objective is to move beyond attracting foreign capital towards building an industrial base that supplies domestic consumers, strengthens regional value chains and positions the country as a competitive manufacturing destination in Africa.
