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Del Monte Kenya marks 60 years with jobs and exports
Del Monte Kenya is marking its 60th year of operations, highlighting its role in employment, exports, community services, and environmental initiatives in Murang’a, Kiambu, and beyond.
The company employs about 7,700 people directly and supports an estimated 28,000 additional jobs through its supply chain. This equates to more than 35,000 livelihoods connected to its operations in Murang’a and Kiambu counties, in addition to retail workers handling its products across the country.
On the export front, Del Monte ships approximately 3,800 containers of pineapple products and beverages annually through the port of Mombasa, equivalent to 75,000 tons of goods. These exports generate more than 9 billion shillings (US$70 million) each year in foreign exchange earnings.
Del Monte also invests around 100 million shillings (US$780,000) annually in maintaining roads around its farms, facilitating both farm logistics and community access to markets, schools, and clinics. Other projects have included clean water points, tree planting, wetland preservation, and recreational facilities.
Education initiatives form part of the company’s long-term community engagement. Since 1960, Del Monte has supported schools such as Kihunguro Primary and today runs eight nursery schools, three primary schools, and the Del Monte Mixed Secondary School. In the last decade, more than 14,000 students have attended these institutions. The company also supports learning through school maintenance, provision of firewood for meals, sanitary pads, and internship opportunities.
In healthcare, Del Monte Kenya operates six clinics for staff and dependents and organizes community medical camps. In one recent year, more than 3,000 patients were treated through these outreach programs. Since 2020, over 11,860 women have accessed reproductive health services, cancer screenings, lactation facilities, and awareness sessions on gender-based violence.
The company has also invested in sustainability measures. In 2024, it launched a biofertilizer plant converting pineapple residues into soil enhancers. It has committed to regenerative farming practices, now applied across 30 per cent of its lands, with a target of aligning with global standards by 2030. Other measures include reusable packaging, wetland conservation, and reforestation.
The workforce remains 99.9 per cent Kenyan, with women making up between 36 and 45 per cent of staff. Training, health and safety programs, and welfare initiatives such as breastfeeding centers are also part of its employment approach.
Del Monte Kenya’s 60 years reflect the intersection of agribusiness with community development, combining export production with local infrastructure, education, and health programs while adopting environmental and circular economy practices.
Source: soko directory