Kenya proposes US$216M biotech park in Konza to reduce medicine imports

KENYA—Kenya has proposed developing a Sh27.8 billion (US$216 million) biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing park at Konza Technopolis to cut reliance on imported medicines and strengthen its position as a regional drug manufacturing hub.

The proposed Biotech Life Sciences Park will undergo a feasibility study after APIFA Biotech’s privately initiated proposal received approval to advance to the project development stage under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

According to a report by the National Treasury’s Public-Private Partnerships Directorate, the facility will be developed within the Konza Technopolis special economic zone, which spans Machakos, Makueni, and Kajiado counties.

APIFA Biotech submitted the proposal to the Konza Technopolis Authority to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub focused on producing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished medicines.

APIs are the chemical or biological substances in medicines that produce their therapeutic effects. The proposed facility will also support biotechnology innovation and life sciences industrialization.

“The project entails the establishment of a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in Konza for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production, biotechnology innovation, and life-science industrialization,” the PPP Directorate said in its progress report for the period ended June 30.

The directorate added that the project’s privately initiated proposal was approved in April 2026 to proceed to the project development and feasibility study stage, which is currently underway.

Shared facilities to support manufacturers

If approved, the project will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will establish the infrastructure and shared services required to support pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies operating within the park.

These facilities will include a centralised logistics hub to improve supply chains and distribution, laboratories and testing services to support quality assurance and regulatory compliance, and regulatory support services to help manufacturers meet local and international standards.

The park will also provide shared production equipment and waste treatment facilities. By sharing these resources, manufacturers could reduce infrastructure costs while meeting environmental and quality requirements.

During the second phase, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies will establish and operate their own production units within the park.

The facility is expected to manufacture a broad range of products, including antibiotics, vaccines, biologics, APIs, and excipients, which are inactive ingredients used to formulate medicines.

It will also support the production of diagnostic equipment and medical devices and offer contract manufacturing, packaging, and research and development services.

Reducing reliance on imported medicines

The proposed park is based on the bulk drug park model used in India, where pharmaceutical manufacturers share essential infrastructure rather than investing separately in costly facilities.

The initiative comes as Kenya seeks to reduce its dependence on imported APIs, which are largely sourced from India and China.

Supply disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the risks associated with dependence on global pharmaceutical supply chains and contributed to shortages of essential medicines.

APIFA Biotech is majority-owned by API For Africa (APIFA) Limited, a Nairobi-based non-profit organization that holds a 70 percent stake in the company and promotes local production of APIs and other health products across sub-Saharan Africa.

Meanwhile, Kenya spent Sh15.6 billion (US$121 million) on imported medicinal and pharmaceutical products between January and March, down from Sh20.4 billion (US$158 million) during the same period a year earlier, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

The 23.52 percent decline marked the second consecutive year of reduced spending as the country pursues its target of producing half of its essential medicines locally by the end of 2026.