Kenya has appointed a three-company consortium to assess the feasibility of developing a commercial satellite launch facility on its coast, advancing plans that could eventually give the country a domestic launch capability and create a new entry point into Africa’s growing space economy.
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) appointed UAE-based Salience Consulting, French space engineering firm SpaceDreamS and Gauff Consultants Africa to lead the study. Announced on 29 October 2026, the appointment moves the proposed spaceport into a more detailed assessment phase, with stakeholder consultations beginning in Nairobi this week.
Each consortium member will take responsibility for a different part of the evaluation. Salience Consulting will lead financial, legal, environmental and social assessments; SpaceDreamS will oversee technical feasibility and systems engineering; and Gauff Consultants Africa will handle civil and infrastructure engineering.
The study will examine potential sites, launch infrastructure requirements, market demand, environmental and social impacts, and the project’s economic and financial viability. It will also assess value for money and options for private-sector participation. The findings will inform the KSA’s decision on whether and how to proceed, meaning construction has not yet been approved.
The proposed location is the Kipini area of Tana River County, between Malindi and Lamu, where the agency is evaluating two coastal sites. Kenya’s position near the equator and its east-facing coastline are among the geographic advantages cited for launch operations. The country has historical experience in the sector: the San Marco Equatorial Range near Malindi supported launches of 18 sounding rockets and nine satellites between 1964 and 1988.
The appointment follows a funding agreement signed on 1 October by KSA Director-General Major General Hillary Kipkosgey and Public-Private Partnerships Directorate Director-General Kefa Seda. The project is being developed under a public-private partnership model, with private capital expected to fund construction if the proposal proceeds. The consortium would also support the selection of a private-sector partner through to financial close and help build capacity within the public agencies involved.
For Africa’s broadcasting and telecommunications sectors, the proposal is relevant to the wider development of satellite infrastructure. Domestic launch capability could eventually strengthen Kenya’s position in the space-services value chain, alongside satellite data applications and other downstream services. However, any benefits for African satellite operators would depend on the facility’s eventual technical capabilities, commercial terms, regulatory framework and launch schedule.
The spaceport is one of 13 priority infrastructure projects Kenya presented to investors at the Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference in Seoul in September. The immediate milestone is the feasibility study, which will determine whether the country has a viable technical and commercial case for moving from ambition to development.
