Kenya is now banking on a series of roadshows and meetings in the United States to lure American investors into the country.
The Investments, Trade, and Industry ministry also plans to use the events to deepen bilateral ties with the US, by exploring new areas of collaboration in investment, trade, security, and other areas of mutual interest.
Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria is leading a Kenyan delegation which left on Saturday, to a Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C., as well as a trade and investment road show in New York, both of which will sell investment prospects to American investors.
Themed “Why Kenya, Why Africa”, the roadshow will seek to highlight the potential of investment opportunities in Kenya and Africa, as well as the conducive business environment tailored for investors.
This will be the second time in less than four months that the CS is leading a delegation to US, as the two countries look to trade under the new Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership.
According to Kuria, the Kenyan delegation at the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington D.C will engage their American counterparts on five key areas namely; economic prosperity, health, democracy and governance, defence cooperation, regional and multilateral issues and long-term trade relations.
“Kenya as a gateway to Africa and Africa as a whole offer’s tremendous potential for American investors and looks forward to showcasing this potential,” said Kuria.
The trade and investment roadshow in New York will involve presentations by US government officials, their Kenyan counterparts, and various sector players and investors, as well as networking events and other organised meetings.
According to Kuria, Kenya will leverage the New York road show and the Washington talks to pitch and invite American investors to the three-day Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO 2023), to be held in Nairobi, between May 29 and 31.
“Among the key issues to be discussed will include partnership in the commercialisation of biotech seeds and crops, following Kenya’s decision to lift the ban on cultivation and importation of genetically modified crops,” the ministry said in a statement.
Pitches to investors at high level meetings, international conferences and roadshows are among ways employed by the Kenyan government to increase Foreign Direct Investments, from $500 million (Sh67.1 billion) in 2022, to $10 billion (Sh1.34 trillion) this year.
CS Kuria will also join global leaders at the 26th annual Milken Institute Global Conference, in Los Angeles.
He will participate as a speaker in the conference, bringing together more than 4,000 participants globally.
