NAIROBI, Kenya — President William Ruto on Tuesday officially opened the 25th East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Trade Fair at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, urging regional leaders to break trade barriers and empower small businesses through digital innovation and financial inclusion.
In his address, Ruto hailed MSMEs as “the engines of job creation, drivers of innovation, and anchors of industrial growth,” underscoring their central role in transforming East Africa’s economy.
“This gathering is a compelling validation that micro, small, and medium enterprises remain the pillar of our economies and the driving force of our shared prosperity,” Ruto said.
The President traced the origins of the trade fair to 25 years ago, when regional founding leaders — Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, the late Daniel arap Moi, and the late Benjamin Mkapa — launched the Jua Kali–Nguvu Kazi Exhibition to showcase innovation among East African artisans.
Today, Ruto said, the bloc has expanded to eight partner states with a population of more than 300 million people, forming one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
“This trade fair has evolved into a strategic platform for innovation, skills exchange, and partnership to dismantle barriers to trade and the movement of people,” he added.
The Head of State emphasized the importance of adapting to global shifts such as technological disruption, youth unemployment, and climate change, saying these forces offer “greater opportunities if harnessed effectively.”
Ruto detailed Kenya’s investments in MSME growth under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), citing the Hustler Fund, which has disbursed Sh80 billion to over 26.7 million Kenyans, and the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks established in all 47 counties to boost agro-processing and industrialisation.
He also highlighted Kenya’s digital expansion drive, with 30,000km of a planned 100,000km digital superhighway already complete and 22,000 government services digitised on the e-Citizen platform.
“We are building 100,000km of digital superhighway, expanding connectivity and enabling commerce. Public Wi-Fi will reach every market in the village,” he said.
On regional collaboration, Ruto called on partner states to fully implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) protocol on women and youth in trade to ensure inclusion and equitable access to opportunities.
He lauded the establishment of the International Trade Centre’s Regional Hub in Nairobi as “a milestone not just for Kenya, but for the entire East African region.”
Reaffirming the EAC’s collective resolve to dismantle non-tariff barriers, Ruto said: “This trade fair offers an invaluable opportunity to elevate these realities ahead of the upcoming EAC Summit.”
The President concluded by declaring the fair officially open, urging entrepreneurs and policymakers to use the forum as a launchpad for innovation, partnership, and sustainable growth across the region.
