NAIROBI: America comes bearing promises for Kenya; introduce firms that will invest in transportation, some in energy equipment and services and others in the agricultural equipment sector.
“Kenya is in a great position economically. It has skilled and educated people, a youthful population that is entrepreneurial and an environment that can support trade,” US Ambassador to Kenya, Robert Godec said during the US trade Mission to Kenya.
The country is therefore coming to Kenya to continue with the work they started fifty one years ago.
With an investment worth US$1.8billion last year, the US has stated that it will increase the amount of investment into Kenya this year to cater for trade between the two countries.
A total of seventy American companies are also coming to Kenya this September. These will have an investor road show whereby they will interact with Kenyans and hopefully strike businesses.
According to Godec, the companies will include Small Medium Enterprises seeking to invest here.
The companies will join the already existing companies such as Google, Citibank, IBM and Microsoft Inc. among others.
“The fact that Kenya is a very entrepreneurial country makes it very conducive for doing business. America has also found success through entrepreneurship and innovation. Kenya is therefore on the right path,” Godec said.
US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets Arun Kumar echoed the same viewed adding that partnerships in Kenya were not limited to trade only. Rather, there were political partnerships, social partnerships and even cultural ones that were touching lives every day.
“Apart from trade, The United States will continue to work with Kenya by investing in education and medical fields among others,” he stated.
The partnership will extend to other countries in the East African Community. Kumar therefore encouraged EAC countries to cement the EAC single market as it will bring in more business for the region.
“By having a single market, the region will have much more to offer, thus an ideal region to trade with.”
America also encourages the business role that China plays in the region; it is currently Kenya’s biggest business partner and lender. It also acknowledged the projects being undertaken by the two countries.
“Kenya is a great place to do business with, which is why so many other countries are tapping into it.
The Trade Mission, which had twenty delegates from fourteen American companies, is ahead of US President Barrack Obama’s visit this July.
