The two industrial sites will be located in the Tatu City Special Economic Zone, near Nairobi, Kenya. They will produce medical supplies such as gowns, gauze and syringes.
Chinese medical equipment manufacturer Zhende Medical Company Limited is to build two factories in Kenya at a cost of $70 million, announced the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in a statement published on June 28.
The two factories, to be financed entirely by an IFC loan, are expected to produce medical supplies such as gowns, gauze, syringes and other basic consumables to serve the East African sub-region, the source added.
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The industrial facilities will be set up on a four-hectare site in the Tatu City Special Economic Zone, near the Kenyan capital Nairobi. They are due to go into production in November 2024, and will eventually employ some 3,000 people.
Zhende Medical Company Limited is one of China’s leading manufacturers of medical supplies. The Shanghai-listed group played a crucial role in protecting healthcare workers worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic, supplying personal protective equipment such as gowns, medical gloves and surgical masks.