The construction of Sh16b Taifa Gas by a Tanzanian investor at Mombasa's Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone is 80 percent complete and is expected to be operational in the next two months.
Cabinet Secretary, Investments, Trade and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui, said the facility will add 30,000 mt of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage and distribution capacity in the country.
“By around March or April, we expect completion of the project. It will distribute LPG not only in the country but also for the entire region,” CS Kinyanjui stated.
He said the additional supply will encourage a shift from charcoal and firewood, thereby protecting forest cover and reducing depletion due to energy demands.
Kinyanjui said Dongo Kundu SEZ was a flagship initiative of President William Ruto’s administration aimed at boosting value addition, manufacturing, and export-oriented investments.
Located strategically near the port, the zone is designed to attract investors targeting regional and international markets.
“In another five years, we expect this to be a thriving industrial hub supporting thousands of jobs for Kenyans and reducing our dependence on imports,” he added.
Dr Kenneth Chelule, Chief Executive Officer of the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA), said the Dongo Kundu SEZ continued to attract quality investors from the region and beyond, including Tanzania and Japan.
“The SEZ is attracting investors from around the region. We have others coming from as far as Japan because of measures put in place to make Kenya competitive for investment,” said Chelule.
He noted that the authority focuses on vetting investors capable of large-scale employment and foreign currency inflows.
SEZA also incentivises investors to contribute to infrastructure, such as the ongoing berth construction at the port to ease goods movement.
Chelule described Kenya’s SEZ incentives as among the best in Africa, comparable to top destinations on the continent.
He said the focus has shifted from establishing new zones to filling the existing 35 SEZs, including public ones like Dongo Kundu and Naivasha, and private facilities across the country.
“The road to Singapore has begun, and we are on course through SEZ,” said Chelule.
He added that several projects were in the pipeline and would be rolled out in phases over the next five years, signalling increased industrial activity within public and private SEZs nationwide.
