American Chamber hosts Obama point man

The American Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization founded by investors in Kenya with membership open to American companies, multinationals, and local companies having strong business ties with the United States. The forum organises regular events so that its membership can keep in touch such as a quarterly luncheon.

The American Chamber luncheon was hosted on Wednesday at the Serena hotel in Nairobi with President Barack Obama's National Security Advisor for International Economics, Michael Froman as the chief guest.

In his remarks Mr. Froman emphasized the role the private sector and foreign direct investors from the United States can play as African economies such as Kenya's continue grow. "If the countries of sub-Saharan Africa are to meet their goals of reducing poverty and expanding opportunity, it will because they became the next generation of emerging markets - countries whose growth is driven increasingly by investments, not assistance, not aid," he said.

The occasion was attended by a host of high profile individuals including Minister for Trade Moses Wetangula, Vision 2030 director Mugo Kibati and Kenya Private Sector Alliance Chairman Patrick Obath.