This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
Kenya's Richard Ngatia has been elected as the new chairman of the General Assembly of the Great Lakes Region Private Sector Forum, a position previously held by Laurent Yogo of the Congolese National Business Association.
Ngatia, who is also the President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, was selected for the position due to Kenya's strategic position and strong private sector, which attracts investors.
Speaking at the forum, Ngatia emphasized the need to promote trade by enhancing regional integration, and to come up with a program of partnering with businesses across the region.
He also highlighted the importance of promoting economic transformation and industrialization for the people in the region, and to pay greater attention to the region's connectivity, including air and water transport, e-commerce, telecommunication, and financial integration.
The forum, which was held in Nairobi, is a precursor to the Great Lakes Investment and Trade Conference to be held in Kigali, Rwanda in November.
Other notable attendees at the meeting included Olive Kigongo, the President of the Uganda Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Martin Kivi, who represented the United Nations at the forum.
