Iran Agrees to Set Up a Vehicle Assembly Plant in Mombasa

In accordance with a contract signed with the Kenyan government, Iran has committed to establishing a vehicle assembly plant in Mombasa.

The Coastal facility will manufacture Iranian-made vehicles dubbed Kifaru.

Early this morning, Kenya and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) covering housing, ICT, fisheries, and agriculture.

“I express our appreciation of our bilateral cooperation in the promotion of trade particularly in the export of Kenyan products,” President William Ruto said while hosting his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi in State House Nairobi.

“I sought the president’s commitment in facilitating the export of more tea, meat and other agricultural products to Iran, and through Iran to the central Asian countries,” Ruto added.

President Ruto also disclosed that the Kenyan tea industry had reaped significant export benefits from the Iranian market.

He cited the example of the nation’s $28.4 million export of tea to Iran in the first quarter of this year, which is an eight-fold increase from the same period last year.

The two also agreed to make blue economy relationships stronger by assisting entrepreneurs and advancing the industry through technology and research.

“I’m very happy that this morning we have signed an MOU that will give us the necessary framework for us to tap into our blue economy resources that are underdeveloped in Kenya,” added the President.