The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) today hosted a delegation of South African investors from Truth Black Agrihouse, a firm specializing in sustainable agribusiness investments across Africa. The meeting, led by KNCCI National Director Mr. Ken Onditi, explored opportunities for large-scale agricultural ventures in Kenya, with a specific focus on poultry production during the initial phase.

Truth Black Agrihouse, which has established expertise in integrated poultry value chains, commercial farming, feed production, and farmer capacity-building, expressed keen interest in setting up operations in Kenya to boost egg and poultry meat production. The company’s model emphasizes partnerships with youth and women entrepreneurs, aiming to enhance productivity, value addition, and market access in Kenya’s poultry sector.

During the discussions, participants highlighted Kenya’s significant deficit in egg and poultry meat production, with the country importing an estimated 5 billion eggs annually. Major poultry consumers such as KFC continue to source chicken meat from South Africa due to limited local supply and processing standards.

Stakeholders noted that high feed costs remain the single largest constraint to the growth of the poultry sector, accounting for up to 70% of total production costs. In addition, the limited number of certified abattoirs and processing facilities restricts the country’s export potential—especially to high-demand markets in the Middle East, where strict sanitary and quality standards apply.

Also present at the meeting was Nouvelle Blooms Ltd, a Kenya-based investment facilitation firm that supports foreign investors by providing guidance on investment opportunities, regulatory requirements, and available government incentives. The firm’s expertise in helping investors navigate the local business environment complements KNCCI’s mission to attract and retain foreign direct investment into Kenya’s agri-industrial value chains.

Policy and Investment Framework

The KNCCI team outlined several policy gaps that continue to limit private sector expansion in food production, including:

  • Unpredictable tax and incentive regimes, which discourage long-term agribusiness investments.
  • Limited access to affordable, serviced land for large-scale farming operations.
  • High costs of power and logistics, which make local production less competitive compared to imports.
  • Short-term, high-interest financing, which constrains capital-intensive projects such as hatcheries, feed mills, and cold-chain facilities.
  • Insufficient coordination in data and value-chain planning, which limits effective investment targeting and scalability.

KNCCI emphasized the need for a stable and supportive policy environment to unlock private capital in agriculture, particularly through predictable tax frameworks, blended financing, and incentives for agri-industrial investors.

Incentives Under Discussion

The Chamber also noted ongoing engagements with the Government of Kenya to structure incentive packages that will encourage both local and international investors to participate in large-scale poultry and food production. Key proposals include:

  • Tax incentives such as reduced corporate tax rates, VAT exemptions, and import duty waivers on agricultural machinery, equipment, and feed mill components.
  • Land and infrastructure support, including access to serviced plots in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial parks with ready water, electricity, and transport connectivity.
  • Capital allowances and accelerated investment deductions to encourage long-term investments in agricultural infrastructure.
  • Targeted relief on feed inputs and raw materials, which will help stabilize production costs and improve local competitiveness.
  • One-stop regulatory and licensing frameworks to reduce bureaucratic delays and ease the process of setting up large-scale agro-industrial ventures.

KNCCI reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating partnerships between Kenyan enterprises and international investors to bridge the food production gap and strengthen Kenya’s agro-industrial base. The Chamber will continue engaging with relevant ministries and county governments to ensure that policy, infrastructure, and fiscal incentives align with the goal of achieving food security, job creation, and export growth.

Truth Black Agrihouse’s planned entry into Kenya marks a significant step toward transforming the poultry value chain, while Nouvelle Blooms Ltd’s facilitation expertise underscores the importance of creating a conducive investment ecosystem for agribusiness growth.

Other than the visit with KNCCI the Chamber organized meetings with government agencies in the agricultural value chain to better familiarize themselves with the sector including: Agriculture & Food Authority (AFA), Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC)