Kilifi Sets Industrial Record with KSh 9B Investment Boom in 3 Years

By Charo Banda

Kilifi County has attracted Ksh9 billion in investments over the past three years with 14 export processing zone enterprises setting up operations and creating ver 14,000 jobs, says investment promotion principal secretary Abubakar Hassan.

Speaking Tuesday, June 30, 2026 during the commissioning of the Milly Fruit Processing Factory in Sabaki Ward of Magarini Constituency, the PS said Kilifi was leading other coastal counties in industrial growth through the EPZ programme.

He credited the cooperation between President William Ruto and Kilifi Governor Gideon Maitha Mung’aro for the expansion noting that the number of EPZ enterprises in the county had risen from 10 to 24 since they assumed office in 2022.

According to him the EPZ initiative that was launched in Kenya in the 1990s had stagnated in Kilifi for three decades with only 10 companies employing about 10,000 people.

“In the past three years however, 14 new firms have invested Sh9 billion and generated 14,000 additional jobs in the county – more than the total achieved in the previous 30 years.”

He said statistics were showing that Kilifi County was leading other coastal town in EPZ investments; a fact he attributed to the creation of a favorable business environment by both the national government and the county administration.

The latest milestone in Kilifi’s industrialisation journey is the launch of the Ksh343 million fruit processing plant by Milly Fruits EPZ Ltd that is expected to create over 4,000 jobs and provide a reliable market for 3,000 farmers.

The facility is expected to boost local fruit processing capacity, reduce post-harvest losses and expand market opportunities for Kenyan produce in regional and international markets.

The investment was made possible through the UK government’s Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) Programme implemented by Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya, which provided Ksh83.8 million in seed funding to complement Milly Fruits’ Ksh259 million investment.

Governor Mung’aro affirmed PS’ sentiments saying his vision of transforming Kilifi through industrial development was slowly taking shape despite challenges such as the controversies surrounding the proposed industrial park in Mariakani.

The governor hailed the new fruit processing facility as transformative for Kilifi’s farming communities.

Milly Fruits managing director Azeem Rashid underscored its role in building a globally competitive fruit processing industry.

“Our future lies in processing more of what we grow, creating jobs here at home and exporting finished products proudly carrying the words ‘made in Kenya’,” he said.

At full capacity, the plant will produce 760 metric tonnes of dried fruits annually for export to the Middle East and Europe while sourcing approximately 10,000 metric tonnes of fruit from more than 4,000 farmers including 3,580 new smallholders.

In the next three years, the project is expected to support 4,180 jobs: 500 direct, 400 induced, and 3,580 farmer-linked opportunities while generating Ksh633.75 million in payments to farmers and workers.

British deputy high commissioner Diana Dalton described the project as a symbol of Kenya-UK collaboration while FSD Kenya chief executive officer Rashmi Pillai said it demonstrated the power of public–private partnerships in driving inclusive growth.