A UAE-backed firm, Aquilastar Corporate Investment, is establishing a Sh19 billion electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant in Naivasha’s Green Energy Park.
The project is backed by UAE-based Alsayegh Group, a conglomerate with interests in a diverse portfolio that spans technology, education, financial services, automotive, and oil and gas.
According to Aquilastar Corp, the plant will produce 50,000 electric and hybrid vehicles annually. Upon completion, it will create 3,000 direct jobs and an additional 10,000 indirect jobs, significantly boosting the local industrialization.
The EV plant is being built at KenGen’s Olkaria Special Economic Zone, placing it right next to KenGen’s geothermal supply.
This would position it among the few EV assembly plants globally to rely on a consistent, carbon-free energy source, potentially giving Kenyan-made EVs a competitive edge.
Additionally, the investment in green vehicle manufacturing will advance the government’s targets of cutting carbon emissions, aligning with the Paris Climate Agreement to phase out fossil fuels like coal.
The groundbreaking also highlights the tangible progress of projects in the Special Economic Zone. While a separate, highly-publicized data center project in the same area has faced delays, the EV plant is moving forward with construction.
