Tetra Pak East Africa celebrates 70 years of dairy, packaging heritage in Nairobi

KENYA – Tetra Pak East Africa has marked 70 years of operations in the region with a celebration where Managing Director Jonathan Kinisu reflected on the company’s pioneering role in the sector and its enduring commitment to strengthening food systems across the continent.

The milestone event, held at Nairobi’s Serena Hotel, brought together industry partners, government representatives and stakeholders to commemorate seven decades of impact since the company established its East African operations in Nairobi in 1956. 

The celebration comes at a time when Tetra Pak’s Nairobi hub serves 13 countries across the region, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Mauritius.

From 1956 Startup to Regional Manufacturing Powerhouse

When Tetra Pak established its East African operations in 1956, the company was one of the first expansions outside Europe, reflecting founder Dr. Ruben Rausing’s vision “to make food safe and available everywhere”. 

Marco Dorna, Executive Vice President of Market Operations at Tetra Pak, noted in his address that the company’s journey has been defined by resilience, including being resuscitated from the verge of collapse in the early 1990s when the National School Milk Programme was terminated,through innovation and partnership, new opportunities emerged and new categories were born.

Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Trade and Industry, Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, who addressed the event, highlighted that processed milk increased from 619.1 million litres in 2024 to 701.5 million litres in 2025, representing a 13.3 per cent increase in one year. 

He noted that the dairy-products manufacturing sub-sector grew by an impressive 12.9 per cent in 2025, following growth of 11.5 per cent in 2024. 

Kinyanjui emphasised that partnerships with companies such as Tetra Pak are important to Kenya’s industrialisation journey and encouraged the company to continue viewing Kenya not only as a market, but also as a strategic manufacturing, innovation and distribution hub for East Africa and Africa at large.

Innovation, Sustainability and Future Ambition

Dorna highlighted that per capita consumption in East Africa is barely approaching five Tetra Pak packages per person per year, compared to a global average of around 30, representing enormous growth opportunity. 

He also emphasised the need for enabling and predictable fiscal and trade policies, affordable access to capital, and smoother regional market access to unlock East Africa’s potential as a major exporter of dairy and food products.

Jonathan Kinisu underscored the company’s commitment to advancing sustainability and building a circular economy across East Africa, noting that as the region’s food and beverage sector continues to expand, Tetra Pak remains focused on delivering efficient processing and packaging solutions while strengthening partnerships with customers and stakeholders. 

The company’s East African business remains heavily concentrated in the dairy sector, with over 70 percent of its regional business coming from milk processors. 

Tetra Pak also supports school feeding programmes reaching 70 million children globally each year. 

The event also highlighted the company’s ongoing innovation in food processing and packaging, including advancements in dairy processing that are shaping growth in the region’s food systems.

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