The proposed Kericho Special Economic Zone at Chelimo is being positioned as a major industrial hub that could transform the county's economy, create thousands of jobs and shift the region from exporting raw materials to producing finished goods.
According to Kenneth Chelule, the Special Economic Zones Authority Chief Executive Officer, the project would not be allowed to become another stalled government venture, insisting that plans for the industrial zone had moved beyond political declarations to implementation.
Speaking after the unveiling of the architectural designs and master plan for the Chelimo SEZ, Dr Chelule said the project was part of Kenya's broader push to expand manufacturing, attract investment and create employment opportunities for young people.
“This is not a photo opportunity. This is not a political announcement designed to win the next election. This is Kenya’s deliberate decision to stop exporting raw produce and start exporting finished value,” He said.
“The era of talking is over. The era of building has begun.”
The master plan, prepared by the Department of Lands, Housing and Physical Planning in Kericho and dated September 4, 2026, identifies seven key industrial clusters for the proposed zone.
They include Business Process Outsourcing; agro-industry, covering food processing and animal feeds; veterinary medicine; medical devices and equipment; light agricultural machinery; biotechnology, focusing on nutraceuticals and natural products; and pharmaceuticals.
Chelule said the project's success would be critical to addressing unemployment and opening new economic opportunities for residents of Kericho and the wider Rift Valley region.
“If we mess this up, we will have betrayed an entire generation of young Kenyans who are tired of waiting for jobs that never come,” he said.
“We will have told the world that Kenya still prefers to be a supermarket for other people’s finished goods rather than a factory for our own. That will not happen on my watch.”
The architectural designs show modern warehouses fitted with solar-ready roofs, dedicated loading bays, parking spaces for staff and visitors, integrated office blocks and security infrastructure, including boundary walls and CCTV surveillance.
The proposed infrastructure, Chelule said, was intended to meet the demands of local and international investors seeking ready-made industrial facilities.
“It is infrastructure designed to international standards from day one,” he said.
Chelule said the Authority was already holding discussions with potential anchor investors in pharmaceuticals, veterinary products and agro-processing.
The sectors, he said, had been identified for their potential to tap into Kenya's agricultural base and the growing opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
“We are offering them a ready, purpose-built platform with clear rules, world-class infrastructure and a government that is serious about industrialisation,” he said.
The proposed Chelimo SEZ is expected to become one of the key industrial investments in Kericho, with the government betting on manufacturing, technology and value addition to diversify an economy traditionally dominated by agriculture and tea production.
Chelule said the project's success would ultimately depend on turning the plans now on paper into functioning industries capable of producing jobs, exports and new business opportunities.
