President William Ruto addressing delegates during the Kilifi County International Investment Conference (KCIIC) at Vipingo Ridge in Kilifi County on Thursday 5th November 2024. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]
President William Ruto has announced that Kilifi County will host over 200 industries in the Vipingo Free Trade Zone by next year.
Speaking at the Kilifi County International Investment Conference on Thursday, November 5, Ruto said construction will begin in early 2025.
The expanded zone will focus on agro-processing, manufacturing, IT, logistics, green energy and pharmaceuticals.
The project is expected to create 50,000 jobs over the next decade, Ruto said, adding that the government will offer fiscal incentives, sustainable energy solutions and support for small and medium-sized enterprises to boost industrialisation.
The government has also gazetted a 2,000-acre Special Economic Zone in the area.
Keep Reading
- Nurses save lives of pregnant women as doctors strike bites
- 17 cases of diarrhoea reported in Kilifi IDP camp
- Alarm over rising mother-to-child HIV transmission in Kilifi
In addition to the Vipingo zone, companies like Nuts and More Processing (EA) Ltd, Kenya Tropical Sea Life, Fuhua Kenya and Mega Apparel Industries Kenya Ltd are already creating jobs in Kilifi.
Ruto noted that the government is advancing its economic zone initiatives with flagship projects in Busia, Eldoret, Murang’a and Kirinyaga.
"Kenya has licensed 39 Special Economic Zones (SEZs), with 10 located within the coastal economic bloc," he said.
"These initiatives are driving economic growth, creating jobs and strengthening Kenya’s export capacity."
Ruto also commended the Port of Mombasa for its growth, citing an increase in cargo throughput from 33.8 million metric tonnes in 2022 to 35.9 million metric tonnes in 2023.
Container traffic rose by 11.9 per cent to 1.62 million units.
Lamu Port handled 37,576 metric tonnes of cargo from 36 vessels in 2023, showing a rise in activity.
The President also spoke on efforts to revive the tourism sector, with tourist arrivals expected to reach 2.5 million this year, up from 1.4 million in 2022.
The government aims to attract 5 million tourists by 2027, with Kilifi seeing a rise in visitors.