Kenya Industrial Estates Limited was established in 1967 as a subsidiary of ICDC to extend assistance to indigenous small and medium enterprises (SMEs) throughout the country. It became an Independent State Corporation in 1978, registered under the companies Act (Cap. 486) of the laws of Kenya, with the government as the sole shareholder.

ROLE OF KIE LTD.

1. Promote indigenous entrepreneurship by financing and developing micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) with emphasis on rural industrial development.
2. Provide affordable infrastructure (workspace) countrywide.
3. Create employment opportunities with special focus in the rural areas.
4. Raise incomes and standards of living of rural communities through forward and backward linkages.
5. Provide entrepreneurial skills to the indigenous Kenyans through entrepreneurial development programme.
6. Promote economic balances (rural/urban).
7. Minimize rural-urban migration.
8. Reduce gender imbalances.
9. Inculcate entrepreneurial culture
10. Enhance technology transfer to the indigenous Kenyans.

CURRENT POLICIES AND STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

1. To incubate small and medium industries with potential for vertical growth into the Missing Middle through an integrated approach.
2. To ensure countrywide dispersion and equitable distribution of industrial investment through the Industrial Estates concept and national branch network. The large cities, i.e., Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu shall not benefit beyond 20% of total K.I.E LTD  investment.
3. Sectoral clustering with focused prioritization, beginning with agroindustries, textile and apparel, irrigation technology and low cost building materials. Further emphasis will be laid on industries that promote value adding, are export oriented and enhance linkage across sectors.
4. All loans and mortgages shall be approved purely on the basis of financially sound lending principles. The sole approving authority is vested in the Board of Directors.
Women-owned and managed enterprises shall constitute not less than 30% of the total loan portfolio.
5. The operations of the company must be competitive and selfsustaining- based on efficiency, economy and effectiveness.