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Access to high-performance lubrication solutions is becoming increasingly important as East Africa expands its industrial, mining, agricultural and transport activities. Against this backdrop, global lubricants manufacturer FUCHS Group is strengthening its regional presence through a new joint venture in Kenya, extending its African operating network and positioning itself closer to customers in one of the region’s key commercial markets.
The new business, FUCHS LUBRICANTS KENYA, is a partnership between FUCHS SE, which holds a controlling majority shareholding and the Managing Director and shareholder of FUCHS LUBRICANTS TANZANIA, Salim Janmohamed, who holds the remaining interest. The venture builds on an established regional relationship and follows an operating model that combines FUCHS’ lubricants technology with local market knowledge and business expertise. Its existing African portfolio includes operations in South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique.
“This partnership builds on a relationship that has already delivered strong results in the region and brings together FUCHS’ lubricant technology with local trading and business expertise. This is a proven operating model that has worked well for FUCHS and uses local expertise to bring us closer to our customers,” said Paul Deppe, Regional Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa at FUCHS.
Kenya’s position as an economic and logistics hub for East Africa was a key consideration behind the investment. The company sees long-term growth potential in the market, supported by its economic position and prospects for continued development. “Kenya represents a natural next step for FUCHS in its East African expansion. The country is politically and economically stable and we see long-term opportunity with a consistent moderate to high growth rate. It is the economic and logistics hub of East Africa which makes it attractive as a regional hub,” noted Ralph Rheinboldt, a member of the FUCHS Executive Board responsible for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
With operations scheduled to begin in November 2026, FUCHS LUBRICANTS KENYA will serve customers across automotive, industrial, agriculture, transport and mining markets. Its local presence is intended to strengthen customer relationships, improve responsiveness and provide direct access to the company’s portfolio of high-performance lubrication solutions. For mining and industrial operators, lubrication is an important component of equipment reliability, maintenance management and operational efficiency. Establishing a local business gives FUCHS an opportunity to develop closer relationships with customers operating across sectors where equipment performance and maintenance requirements are critical.
The Managing Director and shareholder of FUCHS LUBRICANTS KENYA, Salim Janmohamed,said the venture will bring the company’s solutions closer to the Kenyan market. “With local presence FUCHS aims to strengthen customer relationships, improve market responsiveness and deliver a full portfolio of high-performance lubrication solutions directly to the Kenyan market,” noted Janmohamed. The partnership also reflects FUCHS’ approach to regional expansion through established local business relationships and leadership. Rather than treating the investment solely as a geographic extension, the company sees it as an opportunity to deepen its regional network and build sustainable commercial partnerships.
Deppe concluded, “This Joint Venture is not just about expanding our footprint. It is about building sustainable partnerships, empowering proven leadership and investing in markets where we see long-term opportunity. Kenya fits perfectly into our regional vision and we are proud to take this step alongside a trusted partner from within the FUCHS family.”
