A KSh250 million fruit processing plant launched in Kilifi County is set to provide a reliable market for more than 1,000 farmers, create 150 direct jobs and strengthen Kenya’s export manufacturing sector, reinforcing the county’s emergence as one of the country’s fastest-growing investment destinations under the Export Processing Zones (EPZ) Programme.
The official opening of Milly Fruits Processors Ltd brought together Hon. Gideon Mung’aro (OGW), Governor of Kilifi County; Abubakar Hassan Abubakar (CBS), Principal Secretary for Investment Promotion; Diana Dalton, Deputy British High Commissioner and Development Director; representatives of FSD Kenya and the Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) Programme (SUED), alongside investors, farmers and officials from the national and county governments.
Licensed under the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), the facility will process mangoes, coconuts and pineapples into value-added products for domestic and export markets, addressing a challenge that has long undermined farmers’ earnings due to limited processing capacity, post-harvest losses and unpredictable prices.
Governor Mung’aro described the factory as a landmark investment in Kilifi’s industrial transformation, saying it demonstrates the county’s deliberate strategy of turning agriculture into a commercially competitive sector through value addition.
“The commissioning of this factory marks the opening of new opportunities for our farmers, new jobs for our youth, new income for our families and a new chapter in the industrial transformation of Kilifi County,” he said.
He said the factory would provide farmers with a dependable market for mangoes, coconuts and pineapples, allowing them to invest in production with greater confidence while creating employment across the entire value chain—from farming and transportation to processing, packaging and distribution.
The investment comes at a critical time for Kilifi, where more than 70 per cent of residents depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods. Over the years, farmers have often watched their produce spoil due to limited market access despite the county’s favourable climate and agricultural potential.
To reverse that trend, the county has invested heavily in agricultural productivity, distributing more than 1.5 million quality seedlings, rehabilitating over 23,000 acres of tree crops and expanding irrigation to nearly 10,000 acres. The county has also strengthened farmer cooperatives, improved extension services and promoted agribusiness innovation to ensure farmers can meet the growing demand from processors.
Held under the theme “Driving Inclusive Growth Through Agro-Processing and Value Addition,” The investment aligns seamlessly with the with the Kenya Vision 2030 blueprint and President William Ruto's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). Speaking on behalf of the national government, PS Abubakar Hassan Abubakar called the plant proof of Kenya's "growing industrial capacity," noting that EPZs advance BETA's goals by narrowing the trade deficit, attracting investment, boosting foreign exchange earnings and enabling knowledge and technology transfer. 
“Kenya must move from exporting raw materials to becoming a leading manufacturing and value-addition economy. Every factory we commission strengthens our competitiveness, attracts investment, creates jobs and expands export opportunities,” he said.
He added that investor support through InvestKenya, incentives under the EPZ and Special Economic Zones (SEZ) programmes and financing through the Kenya Development Corporation’s (KDC) Green Investment Fund (GIF) continue to strengthen Kenya’s investment climate.
The project was delivered through a partnership involving the Government of Kenya, Kilifi County, the UK Government, the SUED Programme and FSD Kenya, with UK grant funding supporting the acquisition of specialised processing machinery.
Deputy British High Commissioner Diana Dalton said the investment demonstrates how strategic partnerships can create lasting economic opportunities.
“Supporting value-added manufacturing means more of the economic value remains in Kenya, creating jobs, strengthening local supply chains and opening new opportunities for farmers and businesses,” she said, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Beyond the immediate impact, the investment signals growing confidence in Kenya’s manufacturing sector. The Principal Secretary announced that the Milly Group’s next investment, a KSh3.5 billion pharmaceutical glass manufacturing plant at the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone in Mombasa is expected to create more than 500 direct jobs, becoming the first facility of its kind in the region.
For Kilifi, the launch represents more than the opening of another factory. It is the latest milestone in the county’s drive to position agriculture as a modern commercial enterprise, where production is linked to processing, value addition and export markets. As Governor Mung’aro observed, the factory is not merely creating industrial capacity—it is opening new opportunities, expanding markets and laying the foundation for a more prosperous and food-secure future for the county.