President Ruto Breaks Ground on 2,000-Acre Vipingo SEZ as Day 2 of Arise IIP Forum Charts Kenya’s Industrial Future
The groundbreaking of the 2,000-acre Vipingo Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by H.E. Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, was the highlight of the second day of the Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (IIP) – Kenya Investment Forum 2025 in Kilifi County. The forum, held under the theme “Unlocking Opportunities through Special Economic Zones,” brought together policymakers, investors, financial institutions and development partners to advance Kenya’s industrialisation agenda.
The forum was attended by President Ruto alongside Cabinet Secretaries Lee Kinyanjui (Investments, Trade and Industry), Hassan Joho (Mining and Blue Economy) and Salim Mvurya, Principal Secretaries Abubakar Hassan Abubakar (Investment Promotion) and Jacobs Fikirini (Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports) ,Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sherrif Nasir and representatives from diplomatic missions including Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, the European Union, Ghana, Russia and Uganda. Senior executives from Afreximbank, Arise IIP, Centum and other financial institutions were also present.
The Vipingo SEZ, a partnership between Arise IIP, Centum, Afreximbank, AFC and Vision Invest, is designed to promote value addition in Kenya’s economy. Upcoming projects include a textile plant expected to create 30,000 jobs and an electronics and e-mobility motorbike assembly plant. The initiative seeks to reduce dependence on raw material exports, create employment opportunities and enhance Kenya’s competitiveness in global markets.
In his keynote address, President Ruto underscored Kenya’s determination to shift from exporting raw materials to adding value locally. “The Africa Continental Free Trade Area is not merely a trade agreement; it is a continental vision of a single market of 1.4 billion people. For Africa to truly benefit, we must move beyond exporting raw materials and instead add value here at home. The launch of Vipingo SEZ is the beginning of a new dawn — a chapter of jobs for our youth, opportunities for our businesses, technology for our industries and prosperity for our people,” he said.
The President also assured investors of policy stability, energy security and infrastructure development, noting that Kenya has invested USD 50 million into the SEZ, is on course to generate 10,000 megawatts of energy by 2027 and is rolling out infrastructure such as the dual carriageway between Mombasa and Malindi and the railway extension to Uganda.
Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah pledged continued support for Kenya’s industrialization, highlighting plans to establish a testing plant to improve export turnaround times. Prof. Carlos Lopes of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance emphasized that industrial parks should focus on creating value, while Gagan Gupta, Founder and CEO of Arise IIP, reiterated the company’s commitment to building competitive and sustainable SEZs across Africa.
The event also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry and China’s Linglong Group for the establishment of an auto parts industrial park. The Arise IIP Forum concluded with a call to action for mobilizing domestic resources, harnessing Africa’s young labor force and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area to drive industrial integration.
By bringing together global investors, financial institutions, policymakers and development partners, the Vipingo SEZ launch reaffirmed Kenya’s ambition to position itself not just as Africa’s premier investment destination, but as a global hub for sustainable industrial growth.