Dubai-based Maser Group has committed to investing Ksh206 billion in farmland and data centers in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria over the next 24 months. The initiative aims to address Africa's gaps in food security and digital infrastructure. Kenya's government stands to gain through public-private partnerships.
Dubai-based Maser Group, known for manufacturing consumer electronics like televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators, has pledged this investment to tackle surging demands for technology infrastructure and food security across Africa. According to reports, the company has already allocated Ksh38.71 billion to acquire land and other asset-backed projects.
Funding will primarily come from its unit, MDR Investments LLC, which oversees a Ksh64.51 billion fund, and China's Chia Ventures Co. MDR is also seeking public-private partnerships in countries such as Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, and Nigeria across mining, affordable housing, and agriculture sectors.
In Kenya, the funds will support agricultural initiatives to enhance food security, alongside accelerating data center expansions to meet growing digital needs. To expedite the plan, Maser is in talks with Taiwanese firms to form joint ventures for data centers continent-wide.
The group already operates in Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt. Chia Ventures holds a 30 percent stake, while TPA Electronics Co. owns 14 percent. This is not the first instance of Middle Eastern countries linking with Kenyan government investment deals; in 2024, discussions emerged with the United Arab Emirates to lease 200,000 acres of the Galana Kulalu Irrigation Scheme for about Ksh103.39 billion.
These developments follow the government's pivot toward PPP funding for major projects, including a recent partnership with the Kenya National Highways Authority and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for the Mau Summit-Eldoret-Malaba Road upgrade.