The third edition of the AmCham Business Summit – the premier US – East Africa trade and investment forum – will be held on March 29 – 30, 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Summit will provide a strategic platform for enhancing two-way trade and investment between the US and the East Africa region.
The Summit will be the first high-level event on the continent following the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit and comes when the US and Kenya have just concluded a productive first round of talks on the US-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP). The Summit is expected to drive new ideas on re-energizing the region’s economy through two-way trade and investment with the US.
AmCham Kenya CEO Maxwell Okello said that the Summit would explore opportunities to promote sustainable and inclusive growth while increasing US investment in the region even as the region continues to be resilient amidst high inflation due to several disruptions caused by a range of internal and external shocks, including COVID-19.
(TOP: AmCham Kenya CEO Maxwell Okello).
“Our vision is that strategic partnerships between governments and key stakeholders in the private sector will be strengthened at the Summit even as we seek new pathways for a resilient future. We look forward to exploring how we can leverage the dynamism in Africa’s economies to fast-track recovery and growth,” said Okello.
Apparel is Kenya’s leading export to the US, the sector now employing nearly 200,000 Kenyans, mostly young women. By November 2022, apparel exports to the US had reached $498 million, an $85 million increase from the same period in 2021.
President William Ruto is confirmed as Chief Guest, with over 500 delegates from both public and private sector, as well as senior US, Kenyan and regional government officials expected to attend.
A wide range of topics critical to the East Africa region’s economic development, including the role of small businesses in powering international trade, accelerating the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a force for driving economic transformation, digital economy and climate adaptation for economic transformation, will be covered in a series of discussions, keynotes and roundtables moderated by experts from public and private sectors.
The American Chamber of Commerce Kenya (AmCham) is a network of American and Kenyan businesses whose objective is to drive mutual growth and economic prosperity between Kenya and the United States of America. Its members include some of the largest multinational corporations and affiliated local companies operating in Kenya across various sectors of the economy.
AmCham members are involved in enhancing energy access, improving infrastructure, growing manufacturing, developing agriculture value chains, enabling various service industries, supporting the digital transformation and developing innovation across multiple sectors in Kenya. They contribute to the creation of value-adding jobs and enhancement of the local skill base. They also facilitate the transfer of technology, knowledge and know-how, boost the competitiveness of local firms and enable their access to markets.
AmCham members, as demonstrated by their long-term and growing investment in various sectors of the Kenyan economy and continued commercial engagement with Kenyan companies, maintain a firm belief in Kenya’s economic potential and give evidence to the viability of existing opportunities for enhanced Kenya – U.S. trade and investment. The members promote and advocate for more enabling business environments that facilitate access to market opportunities and foster entrepreneurship and innovation, cognizant of the power of trade and investment to catalyse sustainable economic development, building wealth and reducing socio-economic inequalities. They also support businesses, bridging information gaps on trade benefits and market opportunities, standards and requirements for market entry, and provide access to facilitation.
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