The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) officially inaugurated its first regional office in Nairobi on 23 April 2026, marking a decisive step in the expansion strategy of this pan-African infrastructure financing institution. The stated objective is ambitious: to generate an additional $2 billion in investments in East Africa over the next three to five years, in sectors deemed structural for regional competitiveness.
Nairobi, a 'Logistics, Financial and Technology Platform'
The choice of Nairobi is no coincidence. Since Kenya joined the AFC in 2017, the country has benefited from more than $1.3 billion in institutional commitments to critical infrastructure projects. The Kenyan capital is described by AFC as a unique «logistics, financial and technology platform» in East Africa, endowed with international connectivity, a mature financial sector and a technical talent pool unmatched in the sub-region.
The Nairobi office will serve the entire East African Community, a market of over 400 million people, across AFC's five priority sectors: logistics and trade corridors, energy and transmission, special economic zones, digital infrastructure and climate-resilient assets.
Three Flagship Projects in Kenya
Three projects already illustrate the depth of AFC's commitment in Kenya. The Dongo Kundu Integrated Industrial Park, developed in partnership with the Arise group, aims to create a port special economic zone capable of repositioning Mombasa in global industrial value chains. The Naivasha II Special Economic Zone builds on the industrial development around the standard gauge railway corridor. Finally, the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport aims to make Nairobi a leading aviation hub for East Africa.
A Strong Signal for Regional Investors
AFC, founded in 2007 and now boasting a balance sheet exceeding $10 billion, is one of the most active infrastructure finance players on the continent. Its physical presence in Nairobi reduces decision timelines, facilitates relations with local governments and enables better monitoring of ongoing projects. For private investors seeking to co-invest in East Africa, the presence of a pan-African institutional player of this scale provides meaningful confidence.
Why This Matters
For the Indian Ocean, AFC's growing footprint in East Africa represents both an opportunity and a call to action. The region's islands — Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar — have every interest in positioning themselves as commercial and financial partners of this emerging African hub, leveraging their status as offshore financial centres and logistics platforms to capture a share of the investment flows AFC intends to mobilise across the region.