The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency pitched tent at the 3rd Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO 2023) at the Nairobi Safari Park Hotel to showcase the Made in Kenya products to over 2000 delegates drawn from government, private sector, development partners, key African regional economic communities and nonstate actors.

The conference will bring together 54 Africa Trade Ministers who are retreating to develop the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) road map that will be key to unlocking the 1.3-billion-person market in Africa for Kenya’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and positioning Kenya as a getaway to Africa.

Additionally, the conference will also feature top 100 businesses in Africa under one roof to deliberate on the Private Sector Growth and Development in the continent. The conference aims at profiling investment opportunities in special economic zones, Foreign Direct Investments in Energy, Public Private Partnerships, Affordable Housing, Agriculture, Health, Water, Roads, Transport including the LAPSSET Corridor, Financial Services including the Nairobi International Financial Centre and ICT related investments including the Konza City. While addressing the delegates in the conference, President Ruto reiterated that Kenya is committed to the AfCFTA and is willing to remove visa restrictions to the country.

“That might be the last time you are looking for a visa to come to Kenya, because of two reasons. One, this is home and two because we support whole heartedly (AFCTA) and we must remove any impediment to the movement of people around our continent.” Said the president.

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency chairman Jas Bedi highlighted the current practice of merely extracting and exporting valuable products in their raw state, emphasizing the need for significant value addition. He regarded this as a noteworthy opportunity for Kenya’s SMEs and Exporters.