Today Tuesday 29th October 2025, KNCCI National Director Ken Onditi represented Chamber President Dr. Erick Rutto at the 2025 Africa International Agricultural Expo (AIAE), currently taking place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) under the theme “Improving Agricultural Productivity in Africa through Innovations and Market Access.” The Expo has brought together over 100 exhibitors from more than 10 countries, highlighting the continent’s agricultural potential and serving as a hub for technology, trade, and investment in agribusiness. KNCCI is a strategic partner in this event, working alongside Agri-Africa Exhibition Ltd to promote Africa’s agricultural transformation through collaboration and innovation.

In his address, Mr. Onditi reaffirmed the Chamber’s commitment to driving private sector–led growth in agriculture, noting that “agriculture remains the backbone of Africa’s economy, contributing an average of 30–40% of GDP and employing over 60% of the continent’s population.” He added that in Kenya, the sector contributes over 33% of GDP and supports more than 75% of rural livelihoods, yet it still faces persistent challenges such as climate change, low productivity, limited access to finance, and restricted market access. The Expo, he said, was conceptualized to bridge these gaps by connecting policymakers, financiers, innovators, and entrepreneurs from across Africa to collaborate and forge sustainable solutions.

Mr. Onditi emphasized that the Expo provides a strategic opportunity to showcase innovations driving agricultural transformation, explore cross-border trade and investment, and promote the inclusion of youth and women in agribusiness. He highlighted KNCCI’s active role in facilitating trade and investment, strengthening value chains, and promoting access to agribusiness financing and global markets. He also underscored the Chamber’s collaboration with national and county governments, as well as development partners, to enhance productivity and competitiveness in agriculture.

In conclusion, Mr. Onditi called on investors, innovators, and development partners to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Expo, saying: “Together, we can transform agriculture into a wealth-creating sector for our people and position Africa not just as a food producer, but as a global leader in sustainable agribusiness.” He extended appreciation to Agri-Africa Exhibition Ltd, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and all sponsors, exhibitors, and international partners for their contribution to the success of the event. The event was officially opened by Principal Secretary, State Department for Agriculture  Dr. Kiprono Ronoh, CBS and was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Kenya H.E. Guo Haiyan, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Kenya, South Sudan’s Ambassador to Kenya among other diginitaries.

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The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) has reaffirmed its commitment to championing fairness, sustainability, and innovation as the foundational principles of business and trade in Kenya and across Africa.

Speaking on behalf of KNCCI President Dr. Erick Rutto at the FairTrade Africa FTA@20 Celebrations Conference, National Director Vishal Khagram lauded FairTrade Africa for convening a diverse coalition of stakeholders — including farmers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and development partners — to shape the future of ethical and inclusive trade.

“Kenya has long been a champion of entrepreneurship, ethical trade, and inclusive growth,” said Khagram. “While our fertile soils and strategic location attract investment, it is the resilience and ingenuity of our people — especially our SMEs and smallholder farmers — that truly drive our economy.”

Khagram emphasized the critical role of the private sector in advancing sustainable development, urging businesses to go beyond profit-making and become engines of ethical progress. He praised FairTrade Africa’s mission to secure better prices, decent working conditions, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers, calling it “nothing short of noble.”

KNCCI reiterated its dedication to supporting policies and partnerships that empower local producers to compete globally while ensuring that value addition and wealth creation remain within communities. The Chamber highlighted its collaboration with FairTrade Africa as a model for bridging the gap between local enterprise and global markets.

“Sustainable trade is not just about exports,” Khagram noted. “It’s about dignity, empowerment, and shared prosperity. It’s about ensuring that the tea farmer in Kericho, the coffee grower in Nyeri, or the artisan in Nairobi can access markets fairly and invest in the future of their families.”

As global consumer preferences shift toward ethically produced and environmentally conscious goods, KNCCI sees a unique opportunity for Kenya and Africa to lead in fair and sustainable trade. The Chamber called on the private sector to invest in innovation, technology, and skills development, and urged governments to create enabling environments that reward ethical practices and support inclusive growth.

In closing, Khagram challenged stakeholders to view trade not as a mere transaction, but as a transformative tool for social and economic progress.

“Let us embrace fairness, sustainability, and innovation as our guiding principles,” he said. “Together, we can unlock new opportunities, strengthen livelihoods, and build a more equitable global marketplace — one where Africa is not just a participant, but a leader.”

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The event that was officially launched by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi as the chief guest is aimed at strengthening cancer control in Kenya as the country continues to implement the National Cancer Control Strategy with the private sector playing a crucial role through the power of synergy.

The three day event also highlights data driven innovations and emerging technologies that are revolutionizing cancer registration surveillance and research. During the summit the Ministry of Health launched the radiotherapy protocols and empower program and awards.

The empower program which was launched in 2019 is focused on addressing the inefficiencies in integrated care for the woman at the community level with 20 clinics having been established to screen women for both breast and cervical cancer.

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The visit is part of a broader initiative by the Chamber leadership to familiarize themselves with the operations, innovations, and challenges facing KNCCI members across the country.

During the visit to M-KOPA’s state-of-the-art facility in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, Dr. Rutto was impressed by the large-scale assembly of smartphones and the significant employment opportunities the company has created. The facility currently employs over 450 staff and has demonstrated strong local manufacturing capabilities, assembling up to 100,000 smartphones per month.

M-KOPA has so far surpassed 2.5 million assembled smartphones and is now working towards doubling its output to achieve 2 million devices annually. This expansion aims to boost job creation and meet the growing demand for affordable digital access solutions across the region.

Dr. Rutto and the KNCCI team also learned of the company’s ongoing investments to expand production capacity and enhance its service offerings. M-KOPA’s innovative approach includes the refurbishment and upgrading of phones, health insurance services for customers, and device protection features—all of which have contributed to increased sales and customer satisfaction over the past year.

Speaking during the visit, M-KOPA General Manager Martin Kingori highlighted the company’s journey and shared both the achievements and the hurdles they face. Chief among the challenges is the unpredictable tax and policy environment in Kenya, which makes long-term planning and investment difficult for fintech and manufacturing firms despite a promising market landscape.

In response, Dr. Rutto reaffirmed KNCCI’s commitment to policy advocacy and pledged to champion for a more predictable and supportive business environment for companies like M-KOPA. He emphasized that promoting local manufacturing is key to driving economic growth and employment creation.

“M-KOPA’s impact in Kenya is a testament to the potential of home-grown innovation and industrial capability. KNCCI will continue to advocate for better policies and an enabling business environment that allows such enterprises to thrive,” Dr. Rutto stated.

The visit underscores KNCCI’s mission to strengthen member engagement, support enterprise growth, and facilitate dialogue between the private sector and policymakers to unlock the full potential of Kenya’s economy.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fast becoming an indispensable tool in enhancing efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness across sectors. Recognizing its transformative potential, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), in collaboration with Qucoon Kenya, hosted the first-ever Generative AI Sensitization Forum under the theme “Unlocking the Power of Generative AI.”
The session brought together KNCCI members from diverse sectors including insurance, finance, microfinance, and ICT, to explore practical applications of AI and its impact on the future of business.
Led by Yinka Daramola, CEO of Qucoon Kenya a tech consulting firm with presence in Nigeria, Kenya, Dubai, South Africa, England, and Canada the forum featured live demos on Qoonity, agentic AI, AI-powered banking, and a roadmap to building robust GenAI systems.
We thank Qucoon Kenya for partnering with KNCCI in this groundbreaking initiative, as we continue to position our members at the forefront of digital transformation.
Stay connected as we champion innovation, inclusivity, and digital growth for Kenyan enterprises.

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Target Audience:
This session is specifically designed for professionals, decision-makers, and stakeholders in the finance sector, including banks, SACCOs, fintech firms, and financial service providers.

Agenda Highlights:
 Opening Remarks
 Unlocking Gen AI – Practical insights for financial innovation
 Demo: Qoonity by Qucoon – AI-driven business automation
 Agentic AI – Smarter operations with autonomous AI
 Demo: AI-Powered Banking (Rubies) – Intelligent, personalized finance
Why Attend?
Gain practical insights on Gen AI applications in finance
See live demos of cutting-edge AI solutions
Network with key decision-makers in Africa’s digital economy
�� Register Now: https://forms.gle/iBUEdsSXpSk1KZ4V9
We look forward to your active participation.

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Through this proposed partnership, KNCCI members, entrepreneurs and SMEs will have an opportunity to undergo a two weeks training on how to manage limited resources to turn a profit and grow a business among other topics.

A proper mapping on what sectoral areas to cover will be done by the officials from Tampere University of Applied Sciences while KNCCI will focus on mapping out the entrepreneurs and SMEs suitable for this training.

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The World Bank Group team met with among other critical stakeholders, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry, SME Advisory Team under the Office of the President, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the National Treasury, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Co-operatives, the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) as well as, other key stakeholders operating in the MSME space and discussed the World Bank Group Mission for the Enhancing Access to Finance for the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) analytical work in Kenya.

The objective of the mission is to share best practices with the Government of Kenya (GoK) on MSME development as they are developing their strategy and various, inter-agency interventions in this high priority area. The Mission Team shall present the findings of the global research on interventions to support MSME Development in the Country, explore areas where the World Bank could provide support to the GoK under the SME agenda, including the planned diagnostics and literature review under the above mentioned analytical work as well as other activities and operations.

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