Transforming Mombasa into a Year-Round, High-Value Business Tourism Hub

5,000

Delegate capacity of the proposed precinct

$120M

Budget for the centre, hotel and MICE bureau

2,500

Jobs projected in the first five years

Status: Concept Stage | Location: Mzizima Housing Estate, Mombasa County | Sponsor: EDIC & Mombasa Investment Corporation (MIC)

THE OPPORTUNITY: CONVERTING SEASONAL TOURISM INTO STABLE, HIGH-VALUE DEMAND

Kenya’s tourism sector is expanding, with arrivals projected to reach 2.5 million by 2025 and earnings growing to KES 452 billion with coastal demand rising to 16% in 2024. Mombasa benefits from strong hotel capacity and international connectivity, yet remains heavily dependent on seasonal leisure tourism, leading to under-utilised assets outside peak periods. Despite hosting 29 major association meetings annually in Kenya, only five take place in Mombasa, reflecting the absence of an international-standard, integrated convention campus capable of hosting large-scale events.

The lack of a purpose-built MICE facility prevents Mombasa from converting tourism growth into stable, year-round, high-value business demand. Existing venues are fragmented and capped below 2,000 delegates, limiting the city’s ability to compete for regional and international congresses, trade-linked meetings, and corporate events that generate significantly higher per-delegate spend. As a result, Mombasa forgoes substantial economic spillovers, including reduced seasonality, stronger SME participation, and catalytic job creation across hospitality, logistics, transport, and creative industries.

THE SOLUTION: AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD MICE CONVENTION CENTRE

We propose the development of a purpose-built, international-standard MICE facility accompanied by a connected mid-scale hotel with around 200-250 rooms, designed to host between 2,500-3,000 delegates. The convention centre will include flexible plenary halls, scalable exhibition space, modern breakout rooms, and integrated food and beverage areas, with the overall design reflecting Mombasa’s coastal character and Swahili cultural identity. The integrated hotel component will provide on-site accommodation for speakers, VIPs, and core delegate blocks, while additional demand will be absorbed by surrounding hotels within the city, strengthening the wider hospitality ecosystem.

The centre will target mid-scale regional and international association congresses, corporate events, and trade-linked meetings, with a phased growth trajectory from predominantly domestic and regional events in Years 1–2 to a balanced domestic–international mix by Years 3–5. Strategic differentiation is anchored in a bleisure-led model that integrates conferences with beach leisure, Swahili cultural experiences, sports tourism, and active-coast programming.

PROJECT DELIVERY & GOVERNANCE MODEL

The convention centre will be delivered as a public-private partnership under a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Maintain model, with a private special-purpose vehicle responsible for financing, delivery, and operations, and the County Government of Mombasa, through Mombasa Investment Corporation, providing 5 acres of land, enabling infrastructure, streamlined permitting, and oversight within a performance-based governance framework.

PROJECT SPONSOR

The Mombasa Convention Centre project is jointly sponsored by the Economic Development and Investment Council (EDIC) and the Mombasa Investment Corporation (MIC), the investment promotion and facilitation agency of the County Government of Mombasa. EDIC serves as the project preparation and structuring partner, responsible for developing the concept, advancing feasibility, and mobilising investment, while MIC supports project delivery through provision of land, coordination with government stakeholders, and facilitation of approvals. Together, they provide a strong institutional foundation to advance the project from concept to bankability and implementation.

DEVELOPMENT IMPACT

Job Creation: Supports ~400 direct jobs, ~2,000 indirect jobs across supply chains, and ~2,000 catalytic jobs over five years, generating ~5000 total jobs in hospitality, transport, logistics, and related services.
Inclusive Local Value Chains: Stimulates SME participation across hotels, event services, transport, food and beverage, creative industries, and tourism services, while reducing seasonality and stabilising incomes.
Economic Impact: The project will drive strong direct delegate spending, strengthening Mombasa’s tourism economy and anchoring year-round business tourism, with international delegates typically spending 2 to 3 times more per day than leisure tourists.

THE ASK: STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PARTNERS

We are seeking strategic investors/operators to partner with on this project enabling the project to reach full bankability.

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