This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Kenya annual Business Summit is set to take place on November 4 – 5, 2019 in Nairobi, marking its second year.
Organized in partnership with the Kenya and U.S. governments, as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Summit aims to foster long-term economic ties and mutual prosperity between the U.S. and the greater East Africa region.
According to AmCham Kenya Board President Phillipine Mtikitiki, the Summit provides an opportunity to discuss and present collaborative measures that can leverage the numerous opportunities available in the various sectors of the region and the U.S. for mutual benefit.
This year's Summit will focus on East Africa as a single market, with participation from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The program will feature doing business in-country forums, sector forums on manufacturing, agribusiness, infrastructure, energy, health, and the digital economy, as well as matchmaking sessions to facilitate business transactions.
Speaking on the importance of U.S.-East Africa commercial engagement, AmCham Kenya Chief Executive Officer Maxwell Okello noted that the Summit provides a platform for direct business-to-business engagement, enabling partnerships to develop and transactions to take place, which is key to job creation and economic prosperity.
Kenya continues to attract American enterprises, with recent entrants including Cigna, Abbott Laboratories, Corteva, and the American Tower Corporation.
At the 2018 AmCham Summit, over 500 delegates representing 140 U.S. and Kenyan companies participated, with 70 U.S. government representatives and business leaders in attendance. The Summit witnessed the signing of six commercial deals worth Kshs 10.3 billion (US$100 million) between Kenya and the U.S.
