The Merali family has acquired a 50 percent equity interest in a proposed pharmaceutical glass bottle plant valued at Sh330.36 million, to be built on a six‑hectare site within the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone in Mombasa County.

The investment is channelled through Zaigham Investments Limited, which holds a 50 percent stake in Milly SEZ Limited, the vehicle that will develop the plant.

Milly Glass Works Limited, already 50 percent owned by the Meralis, will partner with its affiliate Milly SEZ Limited to construct the facility, according to the Business Registration Service.

The plant is projected to produce 290,000 tonnes of type III amber‑coloured pharmaceutical glass bottles each year, suitable for liquids, tablets, capsules, vaccines and injectable preparations.

Location advantages and market rationale

The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment highlights the site’s proximity to the Port of Mombasa, the Standard Gauge Railway, Moi International Airport and expanding road links, making it well‑suited for an export‑oriented manufacturing model.

Milly Glass SEZ cites rising demand for high‑quality pharmaceutical packaging in East and Central Africa, where local manufacturing capacity remains limited.

Implications for the Merali business portfolio

The venture signals a renewed focus on manufacturing for the Merali family, whose holdings span real estate, agriculture, construction, energy, telecommunications and insurance, after recent exits from tyre and ICT businesses.

The investment follows the family’s historic strategy of acquiring under‑performing assets, turning them around and exiting at a profit, a pattern established by the late Naushad Merali, who was once ranked the third‑richest Kenyan by Forbes.