Tatu City, Kenya’s first operational mixed-use special economic zone, welcomed a high-profile Japanese delegation led by the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, featuring representatives from 25 top companies in Japan.
The delegation, which also visited Tanzania, is in Kenya to explore opportunities for investment and collaboration in the country’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Comprising 40 company executives, the delegation represented diverse business sectors, including manufacturing, technology and innovation, automotive and machinery, renewable energy, healthcare, agriculture, finance and banking, and infrastructure development.
This breadth of expertise reflects Japan’s commitment to fostering economic partnerships that align with Kenya’s development goals and the strategic role of SEZs in driving economic growth.
“Tatu City is honoured to host this distinguished delegation from Japan. As Kenya’s flagship Special Economic Zone and Rendeavour’s pioneer city in Africa, we provide a world-class platform for global businesses to thrive, with unparalleled infrastructure, streamlined processes, and a vibrant community. The interest from these leading Japanese corporations underscores the immense potential of SEZs in Kenya as gateways to regional and global markets,” said group COO of Rendeavour and country head of Tatu City, Preston Mendenhall, .
“Japanese companies are highly interested in doing business in Kenya. Indeed, Kenya is ranked first among African countries in a survey of Japanese companies’ interest,” said senior regional coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Tatsunori Ishida.
The delegation toured several businesses thriving within Tatu City, including CCI Global, a 5,000-seat call centre in Tatu Central, the business and living district of the city.
In Tatu Industrial Park, the delegation visited Freight Forwarders Solutions, an end-to-end logistics services company covering East and Central Africa, Dormans Coffee, a premier coffee roaster and exporter representing Kenya’s rich coffee heritage, and Dr. Mattress, East Africa’s pioneer of mattress and furniture technologies.
At Tatu City’s mixed-use SEZ, 88 companies are operational or under development, employing over 25,000 people and representing over KES 400 billion in investment.
These investments come from groups based in Kenya, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa, as well as international funding organisations such as the International Finance Corporation, British International Investment, Soros Fund for Economic Development, Finnfund, Grand Challenges Canada, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
Tatu City is a flagship Vision 2030 private sector development and a Special Planning Area (Gazette Notice 4975 of June 7, 2019). It is designated as a project of Strategic National Importance pursuant to The Physical and Land Use Planning (Classification of Strategic and Inter-County Projects) Regulations, 2019.
