Kenya, Volkswagen partner in setting up manufacturing plant

By Robert Mutasi 

Kenya is doing pretty well in wooing foreign investment into the country; the latest move is that of establishing a manufacturing plant with the help of German car maker, Volkswagen. 

This was announced by President William Ruto when he met some of the top executives of the Volkswagen Company in Berlin.

In a meeting with Martina Biele, the Managing Director and Chairperson of Volkswagen South Africa Group, and Ndulela Canca, the Head of Strategy at Volkswagen Group Africa, Ruto assured Volkswagen that Kenya was committed to creating an enabling environment for foreign investors.

 "The discussions are aimed at cementing the relationship between Kenya and the automaker, with the ultimate goal of setting up a manufacturing facility in the East African nation." Ruto stated. 

"Kenya is committed to creating conducive conditions that will make our country favorable for foreign investors to exploit the existing opportunities in our country," said President Ruto during the meeting. 

He went ahead to clarify that the government was ready to give whatever support was necessary in the process of easing the flow of investments into the country by international companies like Volkswagen. 

To Ruto, the partnership forms part of the bonds he is looking for in the new push for Kenya's industry set to employ thousands of people.

Such a proposed plant would mark a key breakthrough for Kenya in its effort to get a foothold in the heavy industries and automaker sector. 

Volkswagen is among the leading international car makers that have huge bases in Africa, especially in South Africa and Rwanda. 

The meeting concluded with an assurance to work on a joint strategy towards the realization of the manufacturing facility. 

This is in line with Kenya's Vision 2030, a development blueprint that looks toward transforming the country into a much-industrialized middle-income nation.

In this regard, the parties said they had high hopes for the partnership to provide Volkswagen with a competitive advantage on the African market while supporting Kenya's industrial ambitions.