Kensta Group, the Kenyan-based printing and packaging business, is expanding into sanitary pads manufacturing with a new production facility in Uganda.
- •The expansion is supported by a minority equity investment from Norfund, the Norwegian state-owned development financier, and is intended to broaden Kensta’s product portfolio beyond its core of stationery and paper-based goods.
- •Founded in 1965, the company has grown into one of the region’s largest distributors and manufacturers of exercise books, raw materials, and packaging products.
- •The Ugandan plant will mark Kensta’s first entry into the fast-growing hygiene sector, where access to affordable menstrual products remains limited.
“This investment marks a transformative chapter for our company. With Norfund’s involvement, we will accelerate our growth strategy, enhance our operational capabilities, and continue to provide exceptional service to our clients,” Kensta’s CEO Priyesh Shah said.
The company aims to leverage its existing vendor relationships and distribution networks across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to supply the new product line. The new investment is also slated to promote employment opportunities and improve access to affordable menstrual hygiene products across the region.
“Improving access to affordable products is an important contribution to gender equality. Furthermore, it is an investment that creates jobs which are crucial for poverty reduction,” said Minister of International Development, Åsmund Aukrust.
African countries import over 85% of manufactured goods, exposing them to shortages and escalated costs when supply chains are affected during global crises.
UNESCO estimates that two-thirds of girls learn about menstruation only when it begins. In Uganda, a study found nearly one in five girls missed school during their last cycle, highlighting the toll of inadequate menstrual hygiene on education and health. Moreover, 60% of the 440 girls interviewed by the International Association of Women in Radio & Television (IAWRT) reported that their parents cannot afford pads and 40% indicated that they secure money for pads from boyfriends.
“By investing in Kinetic Holdings, Norfund is helping scale a local solution to a widespread challenge, period poverty, that hinders education and dignity for millions of girls and women. Supporting the local manufacture of sanitary pads is a tangible step towards inclusive development and economic empowerment,” says Donald Muchiri Kariuki, Investment Manager at Norfund.
Norfund, established in 1997, invests in businesses in emerging markets that generate employment and tax revenues, achieving an average annual internal rate of return of 5.1% in investment currency. The fund reported that companies in its portfolio had collectively employed more than 700,000 people and paid over KSh 530 million in taxes last year.