Kenya Highlights Technology Transfer in Industrial Manufacturing Push

Kenya is looking to strengthen its local manufacturing capacity through international investment, technology transfer and skills development, following a visit by government officials to BY Industries Kenya at Nairobi Gate Industrial Park.

John Kipchumba Tanui, Principal Secretary of Kenya’s State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, made the visit alongside South Korea’s Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Kang Hyung-shik, to assess how international partnerships and local manufacturing are contributing to the country’s industrial development.

Operating under Kenya’s Special Economic Zone framework, BY Industries Kenya specialises in precision engineering and industrial fabrication. Its operations include steel processing, laser fabrication, machinery design, assembly and the installation of specialised industrial equipment.

The company’s manufacturing portfolio includes rice and wheat processing machinery, coffee pulpers, hullers, graders, sorters, roasters, grinders and packaging machines. It also produces colour sorters, grain drying systems, fermentation tanks and material-handling equipment.

According to Tanui, these technologies can help modernise agricultural processing, improve operational efficiency, reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen the competitiveness of Kenyan agricultural products.

He highlighted the local fabrication of specialised equipment, including bucket elevators supplied to coffee exporters such as Jabali The Coffee Company, as an example of how domestic manufacturing can support agricultural businesses while reducing reliance on imported machinery.

The visit also showcased the development of what Tanui described as Africa’s first decaffeination facility by BY Industries Kenya. The facility is expected to expand Kenya’s coffee processing capabilities and create opportunities to move beyond raw agricultural exports towards advanced processing, product diversification and greater value retention within the economy.

Another component of the company’s operations is the BY Kenya–Korea Innovation Centre, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The centre provides young Kenyans with practical training in Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and advanced metalworking.

Tanui said Kenya’s industrial transformation priorities include attracting investments that facilitate technology transfer, developing local technical capabilities and strengthening domestic supply chains. He added that international partnerships should translate into lasting local capacity, innovation, skills development, job creation and broader economic opportunities.