ARISE IIP Showcases Landmark Investments to Propel Kenya’s Industrial Future
George Olaka, CEO/CFO Arise Kenya,(Left) Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, PS State Department of Investment Promotion; H.E Flora M Chibule Kilifi County Deputy Governor; Ms. Tally Einav UNIDO Country Rep; Dr. James Mworia, CEO, Centum. (Photo By Mbungu Harrison )
By Mbungu Harrison
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), a leading pan-African infrastructure developer, has launched the inaugural Kenya Investment Forum in Kilifi County, showcasing a multi-sectoral investment strategy set to redefine the country’s industrial landscape.
The two-day forum, is held on 15–16 September 2025, serves as a platform to unveil landmark projects and forge strategic partnerships across key sectors, with a strong focus on Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
At the center of ARISE IIP’s Kenya strategy is the revitalization of the cotton and textile value chain, a sector that once anchored Kenya’s manufacturing base.
Since entering the market in 2023, ARISE IIP has distributed over 1,560 tonnes of certified cotton seeds to farmers, signaling a strong commitment to reindustrialization and rural income growth.
The company has also been instrumental in shaping the national Cotton, Textile, and Apparel Policy.
Looking ahead, ARISE IIP plans to modernize existing textile plants and launch a state-of-the-art garment and industrial textile facility at the upcoming Vipingo Special Economic Zone (SEZ),a flagship project expected to generate thousands of jobs, expand Kenya’s export portfolio, and position the country as a regional textile powerhouse.
“At ARISE, our core mandate is transformation. Transformation of raw materials into finished goods. Transformation of unemployment into opportunities. Transformation of Africa’s narrative from a continent that exports commodities to one that exports finished products,” said George Olaka, Group CFO, ARISE IIP & CEO, and ARISE IIP Kenya.
ARISE IIP’s investments in Kenya go well beyond textiles. The company has outlined plans across a wide array of strategic sectors, including renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass), electric vehicle (EV) assembly and automobile manufacturing.
Others are pharmaceuticals and health tech, agro-processing and consumer goods, heavy and light manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and port-adjacent infrastructure, recycling and circular economy initiatives, and minerals value addition (e.g., titanium, limestone).
This multi-sector approach underscores ARISE IIP’s ambition to develop sustainable, inclusive, and future-proof industrial ecosystems.
The company’s proven success in Gabon, Benin, and Togo where it has developed SEZs that have attracted billions in investment and created hundreds of thousands of jobs provides a strong blueprint for Kenya’s ambitions.
The Vipingo SEZ, a partnership with Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed Centum Investment Company, is expected to replicate this model in Kilifi County, transforming the coastal region into a world-class industrial hub.
“Vipingo is the product, and ARISE IIP is the partner we were waiting on to ensure its success,”
James Mworia, CEO, Centum & Chair, Vipingo SEZ.
Mworia highlighted the importance of building a holistic industrial ecosystem, citing Centum’s existing investments in cashew nut processing, water solutions, affordable energy (LaGas), and education through over 500 scholarships as examples of inclusive development.
The event has drawn the participation of key government agencies and international institutions, including Afreximbank, UNIDO, KenInvest, Kenya SEZ Authority, and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“We continue to engage with the private sector to address emerging business challenges… We are also developing a policy and legal framework to support the chambers in Kenya,”csaid Hassan Abubakar Hassan,Principal Secretary for Investment Promotion.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vipingo SEZ, to be presided over by President William Ruto, is set for September 16, 2025 a symbolic milestone in Kenya’s industrialization agenda.
Further boosting its financial muscle, ARISE IIP recently completed a $700 million capital raise, welcoming Vision Invest, a Saudi Arabian infrastructure investor, to its shareholder base a move that signals growing global confidence in ARISE IIP’s pan-African strategy.
With a footprint in over 14 African countries, ARISE IIP is positioning itself as a central player in the continent’s shift from raw material exports to value-added manufacturing.
Its model of building bespoke, sustainable SEZs tailored to local value chains is attracting growing interest from both governments and investors.
As Kenya eyes industrial growth under its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), ARISE IIP’s entry into the country presents a powerful opportunity to unlock regional value chains, create employment, and drive inclusive economic transformation.
The Kenya Investment Forum 2025 is not just a showcase of capital and infrastructure – it’s a blueprint for how strategic partnerships, policy alignment, and private sector dynamism can reshape the future of African industry.
