{
  "id": 6277527,
  "title": "Sh12bn Mombasa SEZ to create 10,000 jobs as Kenya targets export-led manufacturing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/sh12bn-mombasa-sez-to-create-10-000-jobs-as-kenya-targets-export-led",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-08T12:03:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital FM Kenya",
    "slug": "capital-fm-kenya",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/sh12bn-mombasa-sez-to-create-10000-jobs-as-kenya-targets-export-led-manufacturing/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nairobi, Kenya witnessed the signing of a tripartite agreement on September 8 for the development of a Sh12 billion Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Mombasa. The first phase of the project is anticipated to generate 10,000 jobs and reinvent the coastal city from a transit hub into a prominent manufacturing and export center. The Mombasa County Government, Mombasa Free Zone Limited, and DP World collaborated on this agreement, with President William Ruto in attendance during the signing ceremony at State House in Nairobi.\n\nSituated on a 535-acre plot in Jomvu, the SEZ will focus on industries such as manufacturing, processing, assembly, and value addition, facilitating the production and export of goods to regional and international markets. Ruto emphasized the significance of the project as a crucial component of the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, aiming to shift Kenya away from dependency on exports of raw and minimally processed commodities towards a production and export-driven economy.\n\n\"The Special Economic Zones play a pivotal role in our Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda,\" stated Ruto. \"They provide a platform to establish industries, broaden exports, create employment opportunities, and link our farmers, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers to domestic, regional, and global value chains.\"\n\nTo further bolster Kenya's manufacturing capabilities, Ruto stressed the need to increase domestic processing and manufacturing to capture more value from the country's products. He emphasized the importance of moving away from exporting raw materials and minimally processed goods, urging the nation to process more of its production, manufacture more of what it consumes, and export competitive, finished products.\n\nThe Mombasa SEZ will be seamlessly connected to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and regional transport corridors, granting manufacturers access to Kenya's port infrastructure and markets across the region. In its initial phase, the SEZ anticipates creating 10,000 jobs, positioning Mombasa to serve as a production and distribution hub for the East African Community, COMESA, and the broader African market. This project underscores Kenya's commitment to leveraging its strategic geographical location and transport infrastructure to drive industrialization, fostering connections between manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and global value chains while providing opportunities for local suppliers and service providers.",
  "summary": "NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 8 — Kenya has signed a tripartite agreement to develop a Sh12 billion Special Economic Zone in Mombasa, with the first phase expected to create 10,000 jobs…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}