NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 29 – Two Rivers International Finance and Innovation Centre (TRIFIC) has revealed plans to build a 22-storey Grade A office tower, signalling strong demand for its rental space.
TRIFIC, which is licensed as a services Special Economic Zone (SEZ), already has a 16,234-square-metre office block that is currently fully let.
The TRIFIC SEZ has also announced plans for a Sh5 billion Income Real Estate Investment Trust (I-REIT), with proceeds set to acquire the iconic seed asset of the SEZ, the TRIFIC North Tower.
“Part of the proceeds will be rolled over to develop the next tower,” said Brenda Mbathi, CEO of TRIFIC SEZ, referring to the planned 22-storey office complex. She noted that the TRIFIC North Tower is already fully occupied.
The new office building will comprise 21 floors of office space, a roof level, and basement and ground-floor parking with capacity for more than 700 vehicles.
Ms Mbathi said the TRIFIC North Tower is 100 percent let to a diversified pool of export-oriented service enterprises across sectors including business process outsourcing, financial services, ICT, and professional and advisory services.
The anchor tenant is Teleperformance, the world’s largest Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operator, which occupies 45 percent of the building under a long-term commitment to TRIFIC SEZ. The planned TRIFIC I-REIT is backed by fully US dollar-denominated rental income, implying limited foreign exchange risk for investors seeking USD returns.
The REIT targets a net dividend yield of 8 percent per annum by distributing at least 95 percent of operating income, well above the regulatory minimum of 80 percent.
“The TRIFIC I-REIT is entirely debt-free. This ensures rental income is not used to service debt, preserving distributable cash flows and reducing risk,” Ms Mbathi said.
The 64-acre TRIFIC SEZ, located within the wider Two Rivers development, received its Special Economic Zone licence in June 2023, with the TRIFIC North Tower as its first acquisition.
TRIFIC aims to become Africa’s premier destination for service-oriented businesses, serving as a strategic gateway to global markets by offering a connected, resilient ecosystem with world-class infrastructure and simplified compliance and regulatory support.
“TRIFIC SEZ’s target is to elevate Kenya and Africa as key players in global markets, particularly in the service and technology sectors, positioning the continent not just as a participant but as an active leader in global innovation,” Ms Mbathi said.
