Industrial manufacturing

Kenya has a large manufacturing sector serving both the local market and exports to the East African region

Overview

Kenya has a large manufacturing sector serving both the local market and exports to the East African region. The sector, which is dominated by subsidiaries of multi-national corporations, contributed approximately 13% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2004. Improved power supply, increased supply of agricultural products for agro processing, favourable tax reforms and tax incentives, more vigorous export promotion and liberal trade incentives to take advantage of the expanded market outlets through AGOA, COMESA and East African Community (EAC) arrangements, have all resulted in a modest expansion in the sector of 1.4 % per cent in 2004 as compared to 1.2% in 2003.

The rising levels of poverty coupled with the general slowdown of the economy has continued to inhibit growth in the demand of locally manufactured goods, as effective demand continues to shift more in favour of relatively cheaper imported manufactured items. In addition, the high cost of inputs as a result of poor infrastructure has led to high prices of locally manufactured products thereby limiting their competitiveness in the regional markets and hampering the sector's capacity utilisation. However, the recent introduction of the EAC Customs Union provides Kenya’s manufacturing sector, the most developed within the region, a greater opportunity for growth by taking advantage of the enlarged market size, economies of scale, and increased intraregional trade.

PwC has unsurpassed experience serving the major enterprises in the manufacturing sector in the East African region. We are also at the forefront of developments within the manufacturing sector through our close partnership and membership of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers.

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