By Eddah Waithaka
Mars Wrigley Kenya today announced the continued scale-up of its sugar-free gum operations at its Athi River facility, driving a significant increase in exports across Africa and the Middle East following the formal launch of a dedicated production line in November 2025.
The Athi River facility stands as Mars Wrigley’s only sugar-free gum manufacturing site in Africa and remains the first and arguably the only plant on the continent with dedicated sugar-free gum production capabilities at scale.
This positions Kenya as a strategic export base for meeting rapidly growing demand across the region.Exports from the Athi River site already reach Uganda, Tanzania, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
This year, with expansion into new markets, export value will appreciate further to cover 61% of total value, with exports now accounting for a remarkable 90% of the plant’s sugar-free gum output.
The company will expand its export footprint beyond these established markets into Libya, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Rwanda, South Africa, Burundi, and Nigeria.
Building on more than USD70 million already deployed in Kenya and a planned additional USD33 million investment over the next three years, the manufacturer confirms that Kenyan-made sugar-free gum now reaches a broader set of export markets.
This growth supports the country’s position as an increasingly competitive regional manufacturing hub for gum.”By growing exports from our Athi River site, we’re demonstrating what Kenyan manufacturing can achieve at global standards,” said Mars Wrigley Kenya Plant Director, Mr. Mustaffa Bin Kamaludin.
“This expansion reflects rising demand for sugar-free gum and our commitment to serving customers across Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East with high-quality products made in Kenya.”
The Athi River facility produces an export portfolio that includes sugar-free individually wrapped tab gum, as well as Peppermint and Mixed Fruit variants.
The company also plans to introduce more sugar-free 10-pellet pack variants in the near future. Mars Wrigley has reiterated its long-term commitment to Kenya, anchored by the Athi River manufacturing facility.
The company currently supports over 3,500 direct and indirect jobs and continues investing in capabilities to support growth and export competitiveness.
The additional USD33 million investment planned over the next three years will support continued expansion, including equipment upgrades, new production lines, enhanced packaging capability, warehouse expansion, quality systems, automation, and sustainability initiatives.
