Industry Permanent Secretary Juma Mukhwana announced that the government intends to raise manufacturing’s contribution to gross domestic product from the current eight per cent to 15 per cent by 2027 and to 20 per cent by 2030.
“Despite our efforts, manufacturing still contributes approximately eight per cent of GDP, against our national target of 15 per cent by 2027 and 20 per cent by 2030,” Mukhwana said.
He added that the sector is hindered by infrastructure gaps, low technology uptake and weak industry-research linkages, while noting that Kenya’s youthful population and access to the African Continental Free Trade Area, covering about 1.4 billion people, present major opportunities.
The Kenya Industrialisation Summit 2026 will be held in Nairobi from November 2 to November 7 under the theme “Driving Industrial Growth through Investment, Manufacturing, Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Financing,” and is expected to draw more than 2,000 participants including officials, manufacturers, investors, development partners and researchers.
The government hopes the six-day event will produce policy recommendations, secure investment commitments for industrial projects and strengthen collaboration between government, industry, academia and development partners, while also raising the profile of Made-in-Kenya products and expanding participation of women, young people and persons with disabilities.
According to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, reaching a 15 per cent share by 2027 will require accelerated output, reduced production costs, improved access to capital and technology and policies that enable local firms to compete with imports; high electricity costs, taxation and overall expensive production are blamed for making Kenyan goods uncompetitive, with cheaper imports eroding market share.
Industry participants argue that a stronger manufacturing base would create jobs, stimulate export growth and lessen dependence on imported finished products.
