Nairobi, Kenya | Tuesday, 11th August 2026: Speaking at the CEOs–Trade & Investment Roundtable – Kenya Edition, Mr. Ahmed Farah, Executive Director of the East African Business Council (EABC), stated: “The East African Community (EAC) is not just a neighbouring market—it is Kenya’s next growth frontier. With intra-EAC trade at just $19.7 billion, representing approximately 12.5% of total EAC trade, and the regional economy valued at around $400 billion, the greatest opportunity lies in removing the barriers that hold businesses back.”
He elaborated: “Our priority must be to make the EAC a more competitive and predictable market for business. We need to remove non-tariff barriers, harmonise standards, reduce the cost of logistics and ensure that regional commitments are implemented consistently. That is how we convert regional demand into investment, production and jobs.”
The Chief Guest, Mr. John Mwendwa of the Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest), stated that, according to a recent UNCTAD report, Africa attracted $70 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), of which East Africa received approximately $14.6 billion, equivalent to about 21% of the total FDI flows to Africa. He noted that investors are primarily seeking scale, predictability, talent, market access and opportunities to participate in regional value chains.
Mr. Mwendwa called for deeper regional value chains, where EAC Partner States complement rather than compete with one another by sourcing inputs across borders, concentrating production efficiently and using the region as a platform to access African and global markets. He also called for greater digital integration and interoperability among government systems to reduce the cost and time of doing business across borders.
On her part, Ms. Angela Muga, Country Manager, East African Development Bank (EADB), stated that EADB is honoured to partner with the East African Business Council (EABC) and GIZ in the East Africa CEO & Investment Forum 2026.
She stated that EADB supports private-sector growth through long-term financing, sector expertise in agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, social services, infrastructure, renewable energy and climate-related investments, as well as its regional reach, helping businesses and SMEs invest, scale and expand across East Africa. She encouraged businesses to engage with the Bank to explore suitable financing opportunities.
Mr. Duncan Onyango, CEO, Trade Catalyst Africa, emphasised that business competitiveness extends beyond producing a world-class product. “The key questions for businesses are: Can I finance it? Can I fulfil the order? Will I get paid? And can I make a profit? You can invest in modern machinery and produce a world-class product, but the moment that truck leaves the factory gate, it may encounter poor transport infrastructure, clearance requirements and systems that are not yet fully functional.”
He added: “Number one, we must fix the trade corridors. Number two, we must finance our SMEs. And number three, we must strengthen the systems of trust, liquidity and investment that underpin both the corridors and SMEs.”
Mr. Onyango further noted that infrastructure alone does not tell the whole story. “Africa’s integration challenge is not only about roads, borders and customs procedures; it is also about finance, monetary systems and trust. Our economies operate across different currencies, inflation environments, risk profiles, reserve constraints and financial systems. Addressing these deeper financial and institutional barriers is critical to unlocking intra-African trade and investment.”
In his presentation on the Kenya Trade & Investment Outlook 2026/27, Mr. Ashif Kassam OGW, Executive Chairman, RSM Eastern Africa LLP, stated that East Africa already has significant scale and growth potential, with eight EAC Partner States and a population of over 360 million. However, he noted that the key challenge is converting this scale into a genuinely integrated market.
He noted that intra-regional trade accounts for only 15% of total EAC trade, despite growing by 28% in 2025, with an estimated 30–50% of regional trade potential yet to be realised.
He highlighted Kenya’s economy at approximately $136 billion, compared with $410 billion for East Africa and $3 trillion for Africa, while Kenya’s exports stand at $8.3 billion, against imports of $20.2 billion. He further noted Kenya’s 5.3% GDP growth in Q1 2026, up from 4.9% in Q1 2025, and foreign exchange reserves of $15.4 billion, equivalent to 6.5 months of import cover.
Mr. Kassam identified the main challenges to regional integration and investment as non-tariff barriers, regulatory fragmentation, border delays, high logistics and electricity costs, non-integrated digital systems, cross-border payment difficulties, policy uncertainty, fiscal pressures and the limited availability of scalable, investable businesses.
He emphasised that the challenge is increasingly one of implementation rather than policy, as businesses require predictable regulations, efficient movement of goods, recognition of standards and effective payment systems. He recommended eliminating non-tariff barriers, improving border efficiency, developing integrated digital systems, strengthening cross-border payments, developing regional value chains and ensuring implementation of existing EAC agreements, particularly those relating to trade and the movement of labour. He further proposed positioning Kenya as a regional platform from which businesses can build, finance, manage and innovate while serving the wider East African market.
Mr. John Mwendwa, Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest); Mr. Ahmed Farah, Executive Director, East African Business Council (EABC); Mr. Lamech Wesonga, Economic Policy Advisor, GIZ-EAC; Ms. Angela Muga, Country Manager, East African Development Bank (EADB); Mr. Duncan Onyango, CEO, Trade Catalyst Africa; and Mr. Ashif Kassam OGW, Executive Chairman, RSM Eastern Africa LLP, officially announced the upcoming East Africa CEO & Investment Forum 2026, slated for 17th–18th September 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, during the CEOs–Trade & Investment Roundtable.
The Forum is a CEO-led, results-oriented platform designed to shape East Africa’s trade, investment and competitiveness agenda while catalysing strategic partnerships and investment deals. It positions the private sector at the centre of regional integration and sustainable economic growth.
The panel on Private Sector Perspectives on Intra- and Extra-EAC Trade and Investment highlighted non-tariff barriers (NTBs), delays at borders, inadequate infrastructure, high logistics and transport costs, regulatory fragmentation, costly regional air travel, limited interoperability of payment systems, and the lack of harmonisation of standards and professional qualifications as key barriers to competitiveness.
The discussion also highlighted opportunities to develop regional value chains, strengthen Kenya’s role as a regional logistics hub, promote East Africa as a single tourism destination, and leverage digital financial services to expand regional trade and investment.
Key proposals included: strengthening and ensuring the time-bound resolution of NTBs, including effective compensation mechanisms for businesses affected by unjustified trade disruptions; expanding port, road, rail and multimodal transport capacity; simplifying border procedures and strengthening freedom of transit; harmonising standards, regulations, licensing and professional qualifications; accelerating regional payment-system interoperability to reduce transaction costs; expanding and digitalising the East Africa Tourist Visa and advancing open skies to lower travel costs; promoting mutual recognition of tour guides and professional services; increasing private-sector compliance and the use of trade-facilitation mechanisms such as AEO and pre-arrival processing; and supporting regional value chains and green logistics.
The panelists called for a shift from policy commitments to implementation and measurable results, with stronger collaboration among governments, regional institutions and the private sector.
The panel featured Mr. Abel Kamau, Trade and Policy Manager, Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM); Mr. Agayo Ogambi, CEO, Shippers Council of Eastern Africa (SCEA); and Ms. Margaret Kulokhoma, Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO).
The Roundtable discussions and proposals will inform the development of the EAC Trade and Investment Climate Report, which will be launched during the East Africa CEO & Investment Forum 2026 in September 2026.
About the Upcoming EABC East Africa CEO & Investment Forum – September 2026
The EABC East Africa CEO & Investment Forum 2026 will take place on 17th and 18th September 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya. The Forum is a CEO-led, results-oriented platform designed to shape East Africa’s trade, investment and competitiveness agenda while catalysing strategic partnerships and investment deals. It positions the private sector at the centre of regional integration and sustainable economic growth.
The Forum will convene over 500 high-level participants, including regional and international CEOs, institutional and private investors, development finance institutions, Partner States’ Investment Promotion Agencies, policymakers, and development partners from across Africa and beyond. The Forum will focus on investment conversion, deals and commitments, featuring structured Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Government (B2G) matchmaking sessions centred on investment-ready opportunities across East Africa.The Forum will also host a special delegation of 50 investors from the European Union, led by Hon. Manfred Pentz, State Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs and Bureaucracy Reduction of the State of Hesse, Germany. The Forum is organised with the support of the German Development Cooperation, TradeMark Africa, the European Union, the International Trade Centre, the East African Development Bank (EADB), and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Register at: www.eabc-online.com
