Page 24 - LUA September-October 2025 for Magzter

NEWS

Kenya advances trade, investment, and industrial

growth through SEZ, TICAD deals, and US talks

enya is advancing trade, investment, support SMEs, generate over 600 direct
Kand industrial growth through multiple jobs, and boost exports with streamlined
initiatives. The country is set to begin logistics and fiscal incentives.
reciprocal trade negotiations with the At TICAD 9 in Yokohama, Kenya and
United States following talks between Japan marked 60 years of diplomatic ties
Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui and US with new agreements on finance, green
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, energy, e-mobility, human resource
aiming to expand trade, secure post- development, and medical access, including
AGOA market access, and strengthen the Samurai Bond and accelerated antibiotic
investment ties. supply. President William Ruto highlighted
In August 2025, Kenya launched the Africa-wide priorities such as intra-African
Kifaru Exim SEZ at Tatu City, providing trade under AfCFTA, youth employment,
10,165 sqm of Grade A warehouses to industrialisation, and private sector growth.

Egypt strengthens logistics Uganda suspends

hub with SCZONE investments 27 road projects due

and high-speed rail expansion to funding shortfall
t the beginning of August 2025,
AUganda had suspended or slowed
27 major road and bridge projects due
to a Shs2.472 trillion funding shortfall
for FY 2025–26. Minister of Works
and Transport Gen. Edward Katumba
Wamala told Parliament that only
Shs682 billion of the required Shs3.153
trillion was provided, leaving contractors
unpaid and land acquisition stalled. Key
projects affected include the Masindi-
Biiso and Kabale-Kiziranfumbi oil roads,
the Kampala-Mpigi Motorway, and the
Kampala-Jinja Highway. The government
gypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone green hydrogen MoUs with Japan’s also carries arrears of Shs1.071 trillion,
E(SCZONE) is reinforcing its role Tokyo Metropolitan Government, with an additional Shs443 billion needed
as a hub for trade, logistics, and green ITOCHU, and Orascom Construction. for land compensation. Katumba warned
energy. In August 2025, SCZONE Chairman Waleid Gamal El-Dien said that 1,993 km of roads require urgent
signed major contracts in the Qantara the zone now hosts 37 projects worth maintenance, with delays risking higher
West Industrial Zone, including a $7 over $1 billion. costs and economic losses.
million SUN GARDEN furniture and Complementing this, Egypt is
textiles plant and a $4 million Murphy advancing rail freight with Siemens
garments project, together creating and Orascom’s $4.5 billion high-speed
1,500 jobs. The textiles cluster also rail project linking the Red Sea to
grew with a $130 million EVERFAR the Mediterranean. The 2,000 km
Textile investment from China and electrified network will cut travel
a $35 million project by Turkey’s Nil times by 50%, shift freight from roads,
Örme. Logistics capacity expanded and lower emissions by 70%. Siemens
through $4.2 million Egyptian– will also localise rail equipment
Turkish investments in bonded production, supporting Egypt’s 2030
container yards at Qantara West and goal to raise rail freight to 13 million
Sokhna. SCZONE further signed tonnes annually.

22 LUA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025