NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenyan micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are seizing new opportunities to grow across the East African Community (EAC), a market with a combined GDP of $305 billion.
Showcasing their products and services at the annual EAC MSMEs Trade Fair in Juba, South Sudan, 483 Kenyan MSMEs are aiming to strengthen their regional footprint and increase cross-border trade.
Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya highlighted the fair as a pivotal moment for Kenyan small businesses to secure their share of the thriving East African market and form valuable partnerships.
Cabinet Secretary Oparanya, speaking on Kenya Day at the fair, emphasized the trade fair’s role in facilitating critical trade connections across EAC countries.
“The annual trade fair has become a vital tool for promoting intra-EAC trade and investment, enabling businesses to connect and access market information,” he stated.
This year’s fair, which has drawn over 1,500 exhibitors from across the EAC, aligns with Kenya’s “Buy Kenya, Build Kenya” policy, underscoring the importance of local production and intra-regional trade in driving economic growth.
Kenya’s MSMEs are leveraging the event to reach new customers, gain insights into market trends, and collaborate with businesses from across the EAC’s seven partner states.
The inclusion of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the EAC extends the trade network from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic, positioning the region as a vital gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Kenyan government is actively developing initiatives to enhance MSMEs’ digital market presence, fostering local and regional e-commerce growth.
This digital push is critical as e-commerce becomes an essential avenue for MSMEs to reach wider audiences, particularly as the EAC market evolves.
By empowering small businesses with digital tools, the government aims to help MSMEs overcome traditional trade barriers, access market data, and expand their networks.
This drive towards digital awareness also supports the EAC’s vision of creating seamless trade across member states, with more MSMEs now able to explore online trade and adapt to the digital economy.
The MSME sector plays a crucial role in Kenya’s economy, accounting for 98pc of businesses and employing 15 million people.
It contributes about 3pc to Kenya’s GDP annually, with a total output of KSh 3.3 trillion. These small enterprises are essential to domestic production and play a pivotal role in the country’s regional trade ambitions, which are now better positioned with expanded access to the EAC market.
