Kenyan business leaders come together to shape Africa's future

Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), The AFRICA CEO FORUM, and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Tuesday held a launch event to introduce the next edition of the AFRICA CEO FORUM that will take place on 25-26 March 2019 in Kigali, Rwanda.

This will be the first time the event is held in East Africa.

KEPSA Deputy CEO, Ms. Rachel Muthoga, says Kenya is leading the drive in Africa to put the private sector at the forefront of development adding that, not surprisingly then, Kenya has been enjoying robust growth in recent years. She also noted that there has been growing investment opportunities in Kenya.

“KEPSA is a strong partner and is looking to take more people to Rwanda this year,” Ms. Muthoga concluded.

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IFC Country Manager, Manuel Moses, said that IFC seeks to bring the full capacity of the World Bank Group to build public- private partnerships and help open up new sectors to private investment and that IFC have new tools and products to help create the incentives that will encourage investors.

High Commissioner of Rwanda to Kenya, Dr. Richard Masozera, stressed “We want to encourage dialogue among business leaders and public- private dialogue to help make Africa become more competitive. This is therefore to invite you to Rwanda for the 7th edition of the Africa CEO Forum to make this an excellent event.”

The launch had a high-level panel discussion that addressed Kenya’s economic role in Africa. Held under the theme “Kenya: Growing with Africa” the speakers looked at why Kenyan private sector needs to expand beyond the region and bring the successes and innovations it has achieved in many fields (mobile money, off-grid solar, digital banking, start-up hubs, etc.) to the rest of the continent.

The panellists comprised of Denis Awori, Chairman of Toyota Kenya, Darshan Chandaria, CEO of Chandaria Industries, and Brenda Mbathi, Executive Director of General Electric & a KEPSA Director.

More than 60 high-level Kenyan and East African business leaders were in attendance among them KEPSA members.