Reap from the Third Kenya International Investment Conference
Delegates follow proceedings at Investment in Smart Cities meeting on the sidelines of the 3rd Kenya International Investment Conference in Nairobi on May 29, 2023.
The over-2,000 delegate-strong Third Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO) being held in Nairobi from yesterday to tomorrow, themed “Unlocking Africa’s Gateway”, builds on Kenya’s geo-strategically connected and linked to many countries through JKIA, a Category One airport that handles US direct flights.
Secondly, Mombasa is the safest and most strategic port of entry and exit for cargo and populations to the east, central, northern, western and southern Africa. It gives access to more than 500 million people, especially in the Eastern African Community (EAC), which recently admitted the DR Congo.
Thirdly, Kenya has an advanced infrastructure covering transport and logistics through railway, road, water and air; an advanced education system; reliable banking systems, including the Nairobi International Financial Centre; health and related infrastructure that supports a vibrant economy for investors.
The meeting comes on the backdrop of Thursday’s 60th Madaraka Day celebrations in Embu County, preceded by week-long activities themed around medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs), one of the five key pillars of the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (Beta), cooperatives, trade and revenue. It aims at operationalising the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by establishing its implementation matrix and roadmap.
AfCFTA will open up intra-Africa trade in a continent of 1.432 billion people. This is the ideal way through which African enterprises, businesses and economy can grow to support industrialisation and manufacturing since such a population can comfortably consume its goods and services profitably.
Within the conference is the African Private Sector Alliance (APSA) forum, to be graced by over 100 top business executives in Africa. Substantial investments by the private sector is required to achieve the African Union Agenda 2063 and Kenya Vision 2030, whose designs is that governments fund 30 and private sector funds 70 per cent investments.
Dr Giti, PhD, is an urban management, public private partnerships (PPPs) and environment specialist. [email protected]. @danielgiti
