Nairobi: The Government is seeking to strengthen ties with China through a strategic investment partnership aimed at transforming key value chains, promoting technology transfer, and enhancing agro-industrialization. This renewed engagement between Kenya and China signals a bold step toward sustainable development and shared prosperity between the two countries in unlocking agriculture and livestock development’s potential through technology, trade, and investment.
According to Kenya News Agency, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Agriculture, Kipronoh Ronoh, speaking during a high-level bilateral engagement in Nairobi where he hosted the Chinese Delegation, said that the partnership promises not only to boost Kenya’s food production and export potential but also to offer Chinese investors access to a vibrant and growing agricultural market in East Africa. “This investment opportunity with Chinese partners emphasizes Kenya’s strategic position as a gateway to the East African Community (EAC) and the continent’s growing demand for food security and agricultural modernization,” he said.
Ronoh stated that the bilateral engagement emphasized Kenya’s vision for modernizing agriculture and promoting food security through technology and innovation, as both countries move toward deepening bilateral ties in the agriculture and livestock sector. With China being a global leader in agricultural innovation, the PS proposed the establishment of an agricultural machinery assembly point in Kenya, leveraging the country’s location as a logistical hub for the EAC region.
The PS also encouraged Chinese investors to tap into various areas, including the production of bio-organic fertilizers, value addition factories, and technology partnerships to digitize agriculture. “We extend an invitation to Chinese companies to explore joint ventures in agriculture sectors such as the tea and coffee sector and invest in packaging materials for tea and coffee,” he said, noting that agro-processing opportunities were also highlighted in coffee, macadamia nuts, and soybeans.
Ronoh encouraged the investment team to take advantage of existing tax incentives within the EAC Common External Tariff, as well as the African Continental Free Trade Area on investment within the agriculture sector. He also emphasized the need for long-term partnerships in technology transfer, irrigation infrastructure, and research collaboration.
Ronoh invited Chinese stakeholders to a major agricultural investment conference scheduled for October 2025, a landmark platform to strengthen partnerships and drive agritech transformation, while encouraging their support and participation given China’s technological advancements.
Deputy Director of the State Department for Livestock Development, Dennis Onkundi, emphasized Kenya’s openness to Chinese investment in both the dairy and beef value chains. “In the dairy sector, opportunities lie in technology transfer, development of disease diagnostics, and residue testing, all of which could improve production and food safety standards,” he said.
He revealed that for the beef value chain, Kenya, a key exporter of beef, mutton, and chevon to the Middle East, is seeking Chinese investment in large-scale production through the land commercialization initiative. The PS further said that the government is also promoting direct Chinese investment in pig production, an area where China has vast expertise. He said currently, Kenya imports pig meat cuts from Brazil to meet domestic demand.
“Kenya has the capacity to become a major exporter of eggs and poultry meat. What we need is mechanization and technology to scale production and enhance value addition,” he said, noting that the country has untapped potential in poultry production.