The forum brought together government representatives, business associations, private enterprises, overseas chamber representatives and professional service institutions, with more than 180 participants engaging in policy exchange, business experience sharing, B2B matchmaking and cooperation signing.
Dr. Rutto noted that Hunan is a strong industrial and commercial partner for Kenya, with the province GDP reaching approximately RMB 5.53 trillion in 2025. He emphasized that Hunan strengths in manufacturing, engineering, e-commerce, medical technology, renewable energy and industrial supply chains align closely with Kenya development priorities.

He positioned Kenya as a strategic gateway for Hunan enterprises entering East Africa and the wider African market. Kenya economy grew by 4.6% in 2025, with GDP estimated at approximately RMB 910 billion, supported by a strong private sector that drives investment, exports, employment and innovation.
Dr. Rutto further highlighted Kenya growing appeal as an investment destination, noting that foreign direct investment into Kenya surpassed USD 2 billion in 2025, reflecting rising investor confidence in the country reform agenda, regional market access and strategic sectors.

On trade, Dr. Rutto emphasized that Kenya–China cooperation must now move toward stronger export growth, value addition and industrial partnerships. With China granting 98.2% of Kenyan exports duty-free access, Kenya has a major opportunity to expand exports of tea, coffee, avocados, macadamia, hides and skins, textiles and processed foods. Kenya tea and coffee exports to China grew by 8.8% year-on-year in 2025, reaching USD 24.46 million.

The engagement also reflected KNCCI long-standing cooperation with Hunan under the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo framework, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Promotion Council, the CCPIT Hunan Sub-Council, and other Hunan partners. Changsha also hosts KNCCI first overseas office, established in December 2023, which has supported more than 900 Kenyan business leaders in exploring trade, manufacturing, technology transfer and investment opportunities in Hunan.

The B2B session focused on practical opportunities in construction equipment, biomedical manufacturing, electric mobility, e-commerce, renewable energy, agriculture value addition, mining machinery, ICT and technical training.

Following the forum, Dr. Rutto led KNCCI engagements during a company visit and meeting at Hunan Shenyi Precision Parts Incorporated Company. The visit concluded with the signing of a Consulting Service Contract between Shenyi and the Hunan Representative Office of KNCCI, aimed at supporting Shenyi Kenya market entry through market information, enterprise matching, business linkages, Kenya visit arrangements and local resource connections.

Dr. Rutto also engaged representatives of Hunan International Trade Group on potential investment interests in Kenya, including land and real estate-related opportunities, subject to further policy guidance, due diligence and engagement with relevant Kenyan authorities.

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The Chamber Business Academy (CBA), under the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI), has officially signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China-Africa Economic and Trade Promotion Council (CAPETPC) of Hunan Province, Changsha. This historic partnership establishes a framework for technical cooperation, capacity building, and technology transfer designed to accelerate the growth of a professional and market-oriented mushroom value chain across Kenya and the wider region.

The framework outlines clear roles for both entities over its three-year duration. The Chamber Business Academy (CBA) under KNCCI will spearhead comprehensive capacity-building initiatives, designing practical training programs in production, enterprise management, standards compliance, and market linkages. Concurrently, CAPETPC will facilitate access to Chinese agricultural experts, advanced production equipment, and research solutions, alongside fostering business matching between local stakeholders and Chinese investment partners. The collaboration spans technical training, introduction of sophisticated farming equipment, value addition, and investment matchmaking.

Speaking at the ceremony, KNCCI President Dr. Erick Rutto outlined the immense socioeconomic opportunities within the mushroom sector, emphasizing its capacity to solve critical challenges in food security, SME development, and agribusiness job creation.

Addressing the latent potential of the market, Dr. Rutto stated:

“Kenya’s mushroom sector has strong potential to support agribusiness development, job creation, food security, and SME growth; however, unlocking this requires strong technical training and professional market linkages.”

He further elaborated on what is needed to robustly support the regional value chain, adding:

“To build a truly sustainable and practical value chain, we must cooperate internationally to introduce suitable technologies, modern production methods, and shared market information that empowers our local producers.”

Dr. Henry Rotich, representing the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) as Director of Metrology and Testing, echoed the need for structural improvement within the industry. Dr. Rotich called on Kenyan farmers and processors to focus intensely on elevating and refining phytosanitary standards. He noted that strict compliance with safety, quality, and technical standards remains the single most critical bridge for Kenyan agricultural products to successfully penetrate and compete in the highly lucrative global market.

In immediate execution of this MoU, KNCCI through the Chamber Business Academy will launch an intensive, one-week professional training course on mushroom farming starting next week. Participants will be trained in oyster and white mushroom cultivation, mushroom physiology and ecology, nutritional and environmental requirements, simplified cultivation methods, pest and disease control, grading, preservation, packaging, export procedures and market trade.

Meanwhile KNCCI’s Chamber Business Academy and the Institute of Human Edible Fungihave also signed a MoU for strategic cooperation.

END

Editors Note

• According to the KNBS Economic Survey 2026, agriculture accounted for 23.2% of GDP in 2025, while the value of marketed agricultural production reached approximately KSh706 billion.
• Within this sector, mushroom production presents a strong but underdeveloped commercial opportunity.
• The most widely cited industry baseline estimates Kenya annual mushroom demand at approximately 1,200 tonnes, against domestic production of about 500 tonnes. This indicates a potential supply gap of approximately 700 tonnes annually. Although these figures require an updated national assessment, it still shows that domestic production is not meeting market demand.
• Demand exists among hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, food processors, institutions and households.
• Buyers require consistent volumes, good quality, proper grading, reliable packaging and predictable supply.

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KNCCI President Dr. Erick Rutto’s remarks were delivered on his behalf by National Director and Chair Economic Diplomacy Committee Cynthia Nyawira, highlighted the Chamber’s active role in Kenya’s economic diplomacy.

The conference drew an impressive line-up of key stakeholders, underscoring the significance of the Kenya–China trade agenda including the Kenya Investment Authority and Lucy Muchoki the Chair, KNCCI Programmes and Partnerships Committee & CEO, Kenya Agribusiness and Agroindustry Alliance. The Changsha delegation included Li Weiqun Vice Chairman, Standing Committee of Changsha Municipal People’s Congress, Yang Zhiren — Deputy Director, Changsha Municipal Bureau of Commerce and China Business Representatives in Kenya including from , Zoomlion Overseas Company, eWaka Mobility, KILIMALL Kenya, Rideence Africa Limited and Executive Vice President, Hunan Association in Kenya Xiao Huizhong.

A central theme of the conference was the urgent need to address Kenya’s trade imbalance with China. Kenya’s trade deficit currently stands at approximately KES 654 billion. However, China’s decision to grant duty-free access to 98.2% of Kenyan exports was lauded as a transformative opportunity with early results are already showing tea and coffee exports to China have soared.

KNCCI Chair Programmes and Partnerships Ms. Lucy Muchoki highlighted the growing role of agriculture in Kenya’s exports to China, pointing to the strong potential for agribusiness expansion. She underscored the need to deliberately involve more youth and women in this growth, a call to action that aligns with KNCCI’s broader agenda of inclusive economic participation.

The Changsha delegation presented their city as a strategic distribution hub for goods entering China, with the capacity to channel products to markets across the entire country. This positions Changsha as a natural and efficient partner for Kenyan exporters seeking nationwide reach in China.

Presentations from Changsha’s industry leaders also spotlighted significant opportunities in biomedical devices, heavy machinery, new energy, and electric mobility sectors where Chinese enterprises are actively seeking African partners. KNCCI’s role in orienting and facilitating incoming Chinese investors was formally acknowledged and welcomed.

In remarks delivered by National Director Ms. Cynthia Nyawira, KNCCI outlined Kenya’s compelling investment proposition a dynamic economy that grew 4.6% in 2025, a youthful and entrepreneurial workforce, world-class digital infrastructure, and preferential access to a regional market of over 300 million consumers through the EAC, COMESA, and AfCFTA.

KNCCI also highlighted gains from KNCCI’s first overseas office in Changsha, established in December 2023 and which continues to serve as an anchor for Kenya–China business engagement, having already facilitated missions involving over 200 Kenyan business leaders.

Overall members in agribusiness, manufacturing, ICT, renewable energy, electric mobility, and biomedical sectors stand to benefit directly from the partnerships being developed through this forum.

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The Changsha delegation was led by Mr. Li Weiqun, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of Changsha Municipal People’s Congress, and Mr. Yang Zhiren, Deputy Director of the Changsha Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

A key outcome of the meeting was the positioning of Changsha as a strategic entry point for Kenyan goods into China. The delegation made clear that goods entering through Changsha have the advantage of national distribution across China — a proposition that significantly enhances the commercial case for Kenyan exporters looking to scale their presence in the Chinese market.

The discussions identified several sectors of shared interest:

• Kenyan Agricultural Exports — Tea, coffee, macadamia nuts, flowers, avocados, and the emerging category of sausages were presented as Kenya’s primary export offer to the Chinese market.
• Chinese Manufacturing Strengths — Changsha’s industrial capabilities in heavy machinery, biomedical devices, and new energy were highlighted as areas of direct relevance to Kenya’s development agenda.
• Chinese Investment in Africa — The delegation noted that Chinese enterprises are actively seeking investment opportunities across Africa, and called on KNCCI to play a facilitation and orientation role for incoming investors.

Dr. Rutto drew attention to a stark but telling statistic: Kenya imports approximately KES 7.8 billion worth of goods from China annually, while exports to China stand at only KES 230 million — a significant trade imbalance that both sides acknowledged as an urgent opportunity to address. Growing Kenya’s export volumes to China is not only a commercial priority but a national economic imperative.

To build on the momentum of this engagement, a visit by a Kenyan delegation to Changsha’s biomedical companies has been proposed, with a view to exploring concrete investment and trade linkages in that sector.

KNCCI also committed to supporting the facilitation of Chinese investors eyeing opportunities in Kenya, further cementing the Chamber’s role as the bridge between Kenya’s business community and global markets.

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