Kenya is turning its space ambition into a national priority

Kenya is stepping up efforts to strengthen its space industry, showing its desire to play a more powerful role in Africa's expanding space economy through new international alliances and technology collaborations.

• Kenya is intensifying its focus on developing the space industry through international partnerships and technology collaborations.
• Kenyan authorities visited Ghalam LLP in Kazakhstan to learn about advanced spacecraft development and manufacturing.
• The country aims to boost data collection, scientific research, and national planning with improved space capabilities.
• Italy plans to revive its space collaboration with Kenya, including launching Earth observation satellites and creating a regional training center.

The East African country is now looking into ways to broaden its space knowledge and technological skills, with an emphasis on boosting data collection, strengthening scientific research, and promoting better national planning and development.

As part of this effort, Kenyan authorities recently paid a visit to Ghalam LLP, an Astana-based spacecraft development and component manufacturing company.

The tour underlined Kenya's desire to learn from countries and companies that have developed significant aerospace capabilities, the country’s president, William Ruto, relayed via X.

“Kenya is exploring the expansion of space knowledge and capabilities to strengthen accurate data collection, enhance research, and support informed national planning and development,” he stated.

“Visited Ghalam LLP, a company based in Astana, Kazakhstan, dedicated to advancing spacecraft development and component manufacturing.

Their remarkable innovation and technical expertise reflect the growing opportunities within the global space industry,” he added.

Kenya expects that future partnership with the Kazakh firm will help accelerate the growth of its relatively young space programme, which is based in Malindi, a historic location known for its role in satellite and space operations.

The move is in line with Kenya's broader international space development plan.

A similar space plan between Kenya and Italy

Italy announced plans to strengthen space collaboration with Kenya in October 2024 at the 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan.

Adolfo Urso, Italy's Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, announced that the country plans to launch Earth observation satellites from its space center in Kenya, which is controlled by the Italian Space Agency, in the coming years.

The proposed resuscitation of the facility is part of Italy's Mattei Plan, a broader development strategy for African countries.

“Over 60 years ago, Italy’s space adventure began here in Malindi.

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Today, we want to give a new mission to this base, which could become the training center for space operators from African countries that have just established their continental space agency,” the Italian minister said at the time, after which the Luigi Broglio Space Museum was inaugurated.

Aside from satellite launches, the facility is anticipated to act as a training center for Kenyan students, scientists, and industry experts, contributing to the development of local technical expertise and human resources in the aerospace industry.