As Kenya accelerates efforts to scale the manufacturing sector’s contribution to national growth, Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL) hosted over 50 female business executives and industrialists from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Women in Manufacturing (WiM) Progamme at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Tatu.
Marking the milestone 10th episode of KAM’s WiM Industry Visit Series, the high-level engagement featured a guided operational tour of KWAL’s ultra-modern beverage production and packaging lines, followed by an executive fireside chat focused on resilient leadership, local value addition, and brand scaling.
The visit comes at a pivotal moment for Kenya’s industrial landscape. Manufacturing currently contributes approximately 7.6% to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the government and private sector targeting a leap to 20% by 2030 under the Kenya Industrialization Agenda. Furthermore, the sector remains a primary employment engine, supporting over 330,000 formal jobs and millions more across agricultural and supply chain linkages.
Speaking during the session, Lina Githuka, Managing Director of KWAL, underscored the critical role of modern local manufacturing and inclusive leadership in driving the nation’s economic resilience:
“Local manufacturing is not just about output; it is the cornerstone of sustainable economic transformation, job creation, and foreign exchange preservation. Achieving Kenya’s industrialization goals requires heavy investment in world-class standards and deliberate spaces for women to lead from the factory floor to the boardroom. Our partnership with KAM WiM reflects our shared conviction that when women drive industrial leadership, the entire manufacturing value chain prospers.”
KAM’s WiM Industry Visit Series Empowering Women
The delegation engaged in deep-dive discussions led by KWAL’s leadership alongside, Lynda Oluoch Regulatory and Policy Manager at KAM, exploring how manufacturers can navigate regulatory shifts, adopt sustainable practices, and leverage automation without compromising local employment.
“Women-led enterprises account for roughly a third of micro, small, and medium-sized industries in Kenya, yet they remain underrepresented in core industrial leadership,” said Lynda Oluoch.
Commissioned as part of a multi-billion-shilling investment, KWAL’s Tatu City plant represents one of Kenya’s premier manufacturing facilities, operating under advanced environmental, quality control, and automated supply chain benchmarks, and was recently certified as the only EDGE Advanced manufacturer in Kenya.
Kenyan women continue breaking barriers across the social-cultural divide. The implementation of Kenya’s Constitution 2010 has advanced social liberties that have made it possible for women to break barriers and lead a development revolution in Kenya’s growing socio-economic landscape. The manufacturing sector, once thought to be a preserve for men is now becoming an outlet for women economic empowerment and growth.
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