The 7th Kenya International Industrial Expo opens in Nairobi

The 7th edition of the Kenya International Industrial Expo opened on Thursday in the capital Nairobi, bringing together 192 international exhibitors, of which 70 percent were from China, and with more than 2,100 merchants attending.

Themed 'Investing in Tomorrow-Trading for Prosperity,' the three-day expo, focuses on driving growth in Kenya's manufacturing sector. It thus created an opportunity for local investors to partner with their peers from China to strengthen the economic ties between the two countries.

In a speech read on his behalf at the Expo opening ceremony, Erick Rutto, the president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the Expo has continued to provide platforms and opportunities in technology transfer, boosting inter-trade and enhancing the opening of the gateway between Kenya and China.

"We are committed to enhancing our support, as we continue to take advantage of the expo for the chamber members to establish partnerships, joint ventures and exchange ideas on product development," he said.

Rutto urged Chinese companies to invest in Kenya to take advantage of the country's strategic location as the gateway to the region to connect with the rest of Africa, riding on the African Continental Free Trade Area.

He said Kenya has many investment opportunities including in agriculture, information and communication technology, building and construction as well as green energy.

Rutto expressed need for Kenya to expand products currently exported into the Chinese market and also diversify product range through the promotion of other products where Kenya has a supply capability, to bridge its trade gap with China.

Pius Rotich, the general manager of investment promotion and business development at the Kenya Investment Authority, said the organizers' motif is to make the expo a high-level cooperation platform between China and Kenya.

This is in addition to making it a platform to encourage more Chinese to invest in the East African country through in-depth exchanges to develop Kenya's manufacturing sector.

He said the investment authority established a one-stop center to ensure efficient and effective facilitation of the implementation of new investments.

Rotich said many Chinese companies are willing to invest in Kenya targeting the entire continent's market, and assured them of the authority's support.

"It is easier now to set up and do business in Kenya than ever before. We have put structures in place to ensure continuous improvement based on the private sector feedback," he said.

Ronald Meru, the chairman of economic diplomacy at Kenya's National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said collaborative efforts between China and Kenya over the years have resulted in significant achievements that benefits both countries across key sectors such as construction, manufacturing, energy and machinery.