A key focus of the meeting was the upcoming Africa Commerce & Industry Summit (ACIS) 2026, scheduled for 14–16 October. Dr. Rutto formally invited the Nigerian High Commission to participate and encouraged Nigeria to establish a dedicated pavilion showcasing Nigerian enterprises, products, investment opportunities and capabilities.

The High Commission welcomed the invitation and expressed its willingness to mobilise Nigerian businesses and entrepreneurs to participate. The engagement positioned ACIS as an important platform for connecting Kenyan and Nigerian businesses, generating B2B opportunities and translating the strong bilateral relationship into practical commercial partnerships.

Discussions noted that the scale of commercial engagement between two of Africa’s major economies remains below its potential. Both sides explored opportunities to strengthen two-way trade, broaden market access and connect credible businesses in sectors where there is clear demand and complementarity.

Among the opportunities discussed were Kenyan exports including sisal fibre, hides and skins, alongside Nigerian strengths in manufacturing, textiles, petroleum-related products and consumer goods. KNCCI emphasised its role in identifying credible enterprises, facilitating business connections and helping Kenyan companies access new markets across the continent.

The discussions also addressed the importance of strengthening confidence in cross-border transactions through reliable documentation, trusted business networks and improved trade facilitation.

Dr. Rutto highlighted KNCCI’s commitment to positioning Kenya as an accessible gateway for investment and business while simultaneously helping Kenyan enterprises look beyond traditional markets and build stronger commercial links across Africa.

The engagement also touched on business mobility and visa facilitation, opportunities for stronger people-to-people and private-sector connections, and the need for sustained engagement between business communities in both countries.

The Nigerian High Commission is also preparing a Nigeria–Kenya Business Forum in Nairobi, with KNCCI expected to support mobilisation of its membership and connect Nigerian businesses with relevant Kenyan counterparts. The engagement will complement Nigeria’s Independence celebrations and other bilateral activities planned for early October.

Also participating in the discussions were Muhammad Zayyanu Bandiya, Minister (Political) and Deputy Permanent Representative of Nigeria; Sonia from the Nigerian High Commission; KNCCI Head of Events and ACIS Implementation Committee lead Rahab Muturi; and Trade Department representative Sharon Karani.

The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to move Kenya–Nigeria relations beyond diplomatic goodwill towards stronger business partnerships, expanded market access, investment linkages and practical opportunities for enterprises in both countries.

For KNCCI, the engagement forms part of the Chamber’s wider agenda of opening Kenya for business, connecting Kenyan enterprises to new markets and using ACIS 2026 as a platform to deepen intra-African trade and investment.

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NAIROBI, KENYA – July 30, 2026: The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) has officially launched the Africa Commerce & Industry Summit (ACIS) 2026, a premier continental platform designed to drive deal-level transactions, unlock strategic investment, and accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Scheduled to take place from 14th to 16th October 2026 at the Uhuru Gardens National Monument & Museum in Nairobi, Kenya, the flagship summit will be held under the theme “Driving Africa’s Next Era of Trade”. ACIS 2026 also coincides with KNCCI’s 60th-anniversary celebrations, marking six decades of economic leadership and enterprise development since its founding in 1965.

The three-day summit will gather more than 5,000 delegates from over 50 countries, bringing together Heads of State, government representatives, chamber presidents, global CEOs, development finance institutions, and over 100 investors actively seeking African growth opportunities. The summit features 350+ exhibitors across 12 high-growth sector pavilions including ICT & Digital Economy, Agribusiness, Financial Services, Green Technologies, and Manufacturing.

Speaking during the media launch in Nairobi, KNCCI President Dr. Erick Rutto emphasized that ACIS 2026 is engineered to address the practical bottlenecks inhibiting cross-border business and trade integration.

“Africa’s next chapter is being written now, and there is a seat in this room for everyone prepared to help write it,” said Dr. Rutto. “While the AfCFTA has established a US$3.4 trillion single market across 1.5 billion people, intra-African trade remains disproportionately low compared to global peers. ACIS 2026 is timed to convert macro policy momentum into deal-level activity. This summit goes beyond conversations into transactions—providing private Deal Rooms, curated B2B matchmaking, and dedicated investment forums built to connect capital directly with scalable growth enterprises.”

Underlining the economic imperative, Dr. Rutto noted that intra-African trade is projected to rise by 6.6% annually, adding an extra US$261.4 billion to continental GDP by 2028 and raising trade’s overall output share to 16.5%.

KNCCI Vice President Mr. Mustafa Ramadhan highlighted the core mission of inclusivity behind the summit, ensuring that Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), youth-led innovators, and women-owned businesses take center stage.

“Businesses across the continent face real operational questions: How do we enter new markets? Where do we find reliable partners and investors? How do we export across borders?” noted Mr. Ramadhan. “ACIS 2026 is a marketplace built to provide practical solutions to these challenges. Across Africa, opportunities exist in abundance, and in the words of Eliud Kipchoge, ‘No Business is Limited.’ We are creating an environment where African-led businesses can build trust, find distributors, and trade together seamlessly.”

Highlighting the operational architecture of the event, KNCCI Chief Executive Officer Mr. KK Mutai stated that the summit is curated to yield immediate commercial results.

“Our ambition for ACIS 2026 is straightforward: when participants leave Nairobi this October, they should leave with more than conference materials and business cards—they should leave with signed purchase orders, executed contracts, and binding investment deals in hand,” stated Mr. Mutai. “Whether connecting to equity funds, pitching to global buyers, or exploring public-private dialogues, every hour of ACIS 2026 is structured for maximum economic return.”

END

ABOUT THE KENYA NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (KNCCI)

Established in 1965, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) is the premier umbrella body for the private sector in Kenya. Celebrating 60 years of advancing trade and industry, KNCCI represents thousands of businesses across all 47 counties, advocating for a favorable commercial environment, driving SME capacity development, and facilitating international trade partnerships.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kamau Mbote

Communication Lead

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI)

Phone: +254 72468368 Email: media@kenyachamber.or.ke /

Website: http://www.kenyachamber.or.ke/ acis2026.kenyachamber.or.ke

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The President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), Dr Erick Rutto, presented strategic recommendations to strengthen practical trade, investment and industrial cooperation between Kenya and Shandong Province during the 2026 Shandong International Trade and Investment Advisors Roundtable in Jinan, Shandong Province.
Speaking in his capacity as International Trade and Investment Advisor to Shandong Province, following his appointment in November 2025, Dr. Rutto emphasized that the next phase of Kenya–Shandong cooperation should move toward implementation, investment and measurable business outcomes.
Dr. Rutto noted that Shandong economic scale and industrial depth provide a strong foundation for cooperation with Kenya. In 2025, Shandong GDP exceeded USD 1.48 trillion, making it one of China’s top provincial economies. The province also has all 41 major industrial categories, giving it a complete industrial system across advanced manufacturing, machinery, new materials, clean energy, biopharmaceuticals, marine industries and smart technologies.
He further stated that this strength aligns directly with Kenya development priorities and gateway to Africa. Kenya economy reached approximately USD 136 billion in 2025, with agriculture remaining the largest sector at 23.2% of GDP, while manufacturing accounted for about 7.1% of GDP. Dr Rutto stressed that Kenya’s development agenda must focus on increasing value addition, expanding manufacturing capacity, raising productivity and building stronger export channels into China and global markets.
Since his appointment, KNCCI has supported direct business engagements between Kenyan enterprises and Shandong companies, including machinery sourcing in Qingdao, agricultural tractor discussions in Jining, brick-making machinery procurement in Linyi, ongoing Kenyan coffee trade discussions, cooperation with Shandong Business Institute in Yantai and preliminary engagements in automotive technology, clean energy and industrial equipment.
In his recommendations, Dr. Rutto identified five priority areas for deeper cooperation: machinery access and local industrial capacity, agriculture and value-added exports, skills and institutional cooperation, automotive and clean energy technologies and direct support systems for companies entering each market.
He called on Shandong companies to work with KNCCI to establish verified supplier channels, demonstration centres, technical training programmes, spare parts systems and after-sales service structures in Kenya. He further invited investment in agricultural processing, cold chain, packaging, roasting, drying and food processing technologies to help Kenya move beyond raw exports and capture more value from products such as coffee, tea, macadamia, avocados and horticulture.
The Roundtable brought together senior officials from the Shandong Provincial Government led by the Vice Governor Wang and international advisors from leading organizations including Siemens China, KPMG China, Veolia, DSM-Firmenich, the ASEAN-China Commerce Association and the Asia Simulation Federation, as well as representatives from Russia, Scotland, Italy, Mexico and other international partners.

Discussions focused on high-quality development, industrial digitalization, AI and IoT applications, green and low-carbon transformation, smart manufacturing, logistics connectivity, healthcare, elderly care, agribusiness, traditional Chinese medicine and stronger international business networks.
Responding to advisors’ recommendations, Shandong provincial leadership reaffirmed Shandong’s commitment to improving the business environment, strengthening government-enterprise cooperation, supporting high-quality development, and expanding global partnerships.
Dr. Rutto’s participation further reinforces KNCCI’s role in advancing Kenya–China economic relations and positioning Kenya as a practical bridge for trade, investment, industrial cooperation and export growth between Africa and Shandong Province.

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Mr. Bell, Founder and CEO of A Unity System, informed KNCCI that he has made the strategic decision to relocate all his manufacturing operations to Konza Technopolis, reinforcing Kenya’s growing reputation as Africa’s leading technology and innovation hub. He cited Kenya’s strong innovation ecosystem and investor-friendly policies as key factors behind his decision.

The move is expected to boost local manufacturing, create jobs, support technology transfer, and attract additional international investment into Kenya’s digital economy.

Dr. Rutto welcomed the investment and thanked Mr. Bell for choosing Kenya over other potential destinations. He noted that such investments demonstrate growing global confidence in Kenya’s business environment and its position as a gateway to African markets.

The meeting also explored opportunities to attract more African American investors to Kenya and the wider continent. Dr. Rutto encouraged Mr. Bell to engage the US Black Chamber of Commerce and invite its members to participate in the upcoming Chamber@60 celebrations, which will bring together businesses, investors, and exhibitors from more than seven countries.

KNCCI further pledged to support African American investors seeking to establish operations in Kenya, strengthening business partnerships, investment flows, and economic cooperation between Africa and the African diaspora.

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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 discussions centered on creating a structured framework for inter-chamber collaboration. The MCCCI, established as a partnership of enterprises and associations across all sectors of the Malawian economy, plays a pivotal role in representing the private sector in Lilongwe. By aligning with KNCCI, both organizations aim to bridge the information gap for SMEs and large-scale investors alike.

Bilateral trade between Kenya and Malawi has shown consistent growth, with the total value reaching approximately $74 million (Ksh 9.7 billion) annually.

• Kenya’s Exports to Malawi: Valued at approximately $56.2 million, led by packaged medicaments ($12M), sanitary products ($8.56M), and soaps.

• Malawi’s Exports to Kenya: Valued at approximately $17.9 million, dominated by soybean meal ($7.21M), groundnuts ($5.83M), and maize seeds.

Vice President Ramadhan Mustafa highlighted that the “DARAJA” pathway, a strategy of moving from convention to structured corridors, is essential for the Kenya-Malawi partnership. Beyond traditional agriculture, the chambers are eyeing:

• Mining: Unlocking Malawi’s promising limestone and coal resources through Kenyan industrial expertise.

• Manufacturing: Encouraging Kenyan firms, which already operate in Malawi’s food processing and IT sectors, to expand their footprint.

• Value Addition: Collaborative ventures where raw materials from Malawi’s SME base undergo processing in Kenya’s advanced manufacturing zones for re-export.

The meeting concluded with a firm commitment to establishing a joint business desk and organizing reciprocal trade missions. As both nations leverage the COMTRADE framework and regional trade blocs, the goal remains clear: to transform bilateral intent into bankable joint ventures that benefit the youth and business communities of both Nairobi and Lilongwe.

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Key details of the MoU
· It focuses on deepening trade and investment ties between Kenya and China
· Supports business-to-business linkages between Kenyan and Chinese enterprises
· Enhances market access for Kenyan exports, especially under China’s new zero-tariff policy for African countries
· Promotes cooperation in priority sectors such as:Agriculture (e.g. coffee, avocados) Manufacturing, Energy & mining, Trade and
· Facilitates trade promotion, exhibitions, and matchmaking platforms between the two countries
Strategic significance
· The MoU is part of broader efforts to reduce Kenya’s trade deficit with China and scale exports
· It aligns with ongoing initiatives to position Kenya as a gateway to East and Central Africa for Chinese investors
· It strengthens KNCCI’s role as a bridge between Kenyan businesses and international markets

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The meeting was led by H.E. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and hosted by H.E. Hatim Yousif Hosni, Ambassador of Egypt to Kenya.

Key Focus Areas:
* Strengthening bilateral trade and investment
* Enhancing market access and addressing trade imbalances
* Diversifying the existing trade basket
* Promoting structured business-to-business collaboration

Both sides underscored the importance of leveraging regional and continental frameworks such as COMESA and the AfCFTA to unlock new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

KNCCI emphasized:
* Establishing structured engagement platforms
* Encouraging joint ventures and reciprocal trade missions
* Improving trade facilitation to reduce bottlenecks for exporters and investors
* Expanding partnerships in manufacturing, agro-processing, ICT, infrastructure, and energy

KNCCI members from diverse sectors were in attendance, reaffirming the Chamber’s commitment to ensuring that private sector voices remain central in advancing international trade partnerships.

CEO Mr. KK Mutai, alongside National Director Mr. Ken Onditi, MBS, reiterated the Chamber’s dedication to translating the meeting outcomes into actionable follow-up engagements and sustained private sector dialogue to drive mutually beneficial Kenya–Egypt trade relations.

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The delegation, which included National Director Ken Onditi, MBS, was received by the Chair of the KNCCI Health Products and Services Committee and Biopharma Managing Director, Mr. Hitan Majevdia, OGW, EBS.

During the visit, the KNCCI team toured the modern facility and learned about Biopharma’s advanced production lines, strong quality systems, and commitment to meeting international manufacturing standards while producing medicines locally.

Biopharma manufactures a wide range of pharmaceutical products, including tablets and capsules, liquid medicines such as syrups and suspensions, and topical products like creams, ointments, and gels. The facility has a monthly production capacity of 120 million tablets, 2.4 million syrup doses, and 600,000 creams. It is also expected to directly employ about 5,400 Kenyans working in three shifts around the clock.

Commending the milestone, Dr. Rutto noted that the expansion is a strong example of Kenya’s growing manufacturing and innovation capacity. He added that Biopharma is well positioned to supply pharmaceutical products to markets across Africa and beyond. The visit was also graced by the presence of nominated Senator Catherine Mumma.

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This direct-access procurement model minimizes acquisition costs, eliminates risks associated with unverified networks, shortens delivery timelines, and enhances the value-addition capabilities of Kenyan manufacturers. It ensures that companies invest in reliable, vetted equipment while maintaining full transparency throughout the sourcing process.

Director Baskwony underscored the critical need for Kenya to align industrial technology with national skills development. Modern manufacturing demands modern training, and the integration of computer-driven and automated machinery into TVET institutions is essential. When education and industry operate at the same technological standard, the dual-training model becomes effective—producing graduates with practical, industry-ready competencies and supplying employers with a workforce fully equipped to operate advanced machinery from day one.

These efforts are reinforced through KNCCI’s structured cooperation with Chinese industry associations and technology partners. Through these partnerships, Kenyan manufacturers and training institutions gain access to verified suppliers, factory inspections, technical after-sales support, and long-term collaboration pipelines to secure modern, dependable equipment.

Anchored in the KNCCI China Strategic Plan, our office remains committed to driving technology transfer, investment facilitation, and direct market linkages. By connecting Kenyan enterprises and TVET institutions to the right technology partners in China, KNCCI continues to support Kenya’s industrial modernization journey and enhance the global competitiveness of our manufacturing sector.

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