Kenya is preparing to send about 500 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the 26th East African Community MSME Trade Fair in Kigali, Rwanda, as the government seeks to strengthen regional market access for locally manufactured products.
The delegation will include exhibitors drawn from all 47 counties, with about 100 beneficiaries of the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme expected to participate in the regional trade exhibition scheduled for October 30 to November 8, 2026.
Speaking during the launch of the National Organising Committee in Nairobi on Tuesday, Micro and Small Enterprise Development Cabinet Secretary Dr Wycliffe Oparanya said Kenya's participation would focus on showcasing quality products and creating opportunities for local enterprises to expand beyond the domestic market.
Oparanya said Kenyan enterprises must use the fair to establish business linkages while ensuring their products meet the quality and market standards required in the region.
“We enter Rwanda from a position of strength,” Oparanya said, noting that more than 1,300 Kenyan companies are already trading in the Rwandan market.
The CS said Kenya's preparations must focus on ensuring that products selected for exhibition are of high quality and reflect the country's capacity to compete in regional and international markets.
The trade fair will bring together nearly 2,000 exhibitors from the EAC Partner States, with Kenya seeking to increase its delegation from the planned 500 exhibitors to as many as 1,000 if additional support is secured.
MSEA Chief Executive Officer Henry Rithaa said the authority was working with partners to ensure Kenyan MSMEs have the necessary logistics, certification and market support ahead of the exhibition.
Rithaa said the 500 Kenyan exhibitors would be drawn from across the country, with every county expected to have more than five exhibitors participating.
He said about 100 NYOTA beneficiaries would also form part of the Kenyan delegation, describing the initiative as part of efforts to expose young entrepreneurs to regional markets and help them scale their businesses.
“This exposure to the regional market is one way of building their capacity, helping them to grow their businesses and expand,” Rithaa said.
The CEO said preparations would also involve agencies responsible for certification, immigration, foreign affairs and internal security to facilitate the movement of exhibitors and their products to Kigali.
Kenya's participation will also place emphasis on the leather value chain, which Rithaa described as a strategic sector under the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
Kenya will host its national day at the trade fair on November 5, when exhibitors are expected to showcase the country's leather value chain and other locally manufactured products.
The Board Chairman of MSEA, James Mureu, said trade fairs provide Kenyan MSMEs with an opportunity to move beyond competing among themselves and instead compete with businesses from the wider global market.
Mureu said the previous edition demonstrated the potential of regional trade, attracting more than 1,500 exhibitors and about 55,000 visitors, alongside business-to-business engagements.
He urged Kenyan exhibitors to take their best products to Kigali and use the exhibition to establish sustainable business connections.
The government has also identified access to finance, markets and digital transformation as key areas for supporting MSMEs.
Oparanya said the government was working to improve access to financing while creating market opportunities locally and across the region.
He noted that MSMEs account for more than 30 per cent of Kenya's Gross Domestic Product and involve millions of Kenyans, making the sector a critical component of the country's economic development.
The CS said the government was also considering legislation that would provide a longer period for nurturing small businesses, arguing that enterprises require sufficient time to mature before becoming self-sustaining.
The 26th EAC MSME Trade Fair will be hosted by Rwanda in Kigali from October 30 to November 8, with the official opening scheduled for November 3.
The event is expected to provide Kenyan enterprises with opportunities to showcase locally manufactured products, establish regional business partnerships and access the wider East African market.
