The UK in January brought together at least 21 African countries for the first UK-Africa Investment Summit.
Hosted by Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson in London, the Summit was a crucial milestone towards the attainment of the UK's objective of becoming the largest investor in Africa. It was attended by Heads of State, international business leaders, members from the private and non-development organisations and members of the diplomatic corps.
President Uhuru Kenyatta led the Kenyan delegation accompanied by Government officials including Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries and conducted several bilateral and multilateral engagements on the side-lines of the Summit.
"I am hopeful that Kenya and the UK will re-engage as we once did and build on the foundations of those who came before us. This is a chance to build new opportunities for us as partners," remarked the President during the Kenya-UK Business Forum held on the side-lines of the meeting. The forum designed to promote and enhance Kenya-UK trade and investment relations was attended by representatives from the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, Kenya Private Sector Alliance, British Chamber in Kenya, Scottish Africa Business Association, an interim executive of Kenya business in the UK, and other corporate leaders.
The main expectations and objectives of the summit were promoting a range of sectors identified by African countries as areas of interest for future investment, including innovation, job creation, economic development, protection of the environment and supporting health and human development of the people in Africa.
The UK is a crucial destination for Kenyan exports and source for Foreign Direct investment. The summit offered an opportunity to preserve and enhance Kenya's trade and investment relations, especially post Brexit.
According to the UK Trade Commissioner for Africa, Emma De-Smith, £36 billion worth of trade is already happening between the African Continent and the United Kingdom. "The opportunities are growing across the continent where we see some of the fastest-growing economies over a number of years. Seeing these economies diverse and mature, it means new sectors are opening up, including sectors where the UK has a lot of experience and expertise. We think that this makes it ripe for partnership," she said.
Kenya's High Commissioner to the UK, Manoah Esipisu, said the summit offered a chance for Africa and the UK to create new alliance and collaborations in a bid to revive and steer more investment opportunities in the years to come.
"Our most significant interest is in opportunities that will see us achieve Kenya's Big 4 Agenda. We are interested in partnerships around Food Security, Affordable Housing, Renewable Energy, Manufacturing and Health Care for all. The UK-Africa Summit also seeks to secure funds for domestic agriculture, manufacturing and technology, as well as creating employment opportunities for its bulging internal market," said Ambassador Esipisu.
Some of the countries represented during the Summit included Algeria, Angola, Cote D'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Mauritania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Uganda, Rwanda, Guinea, Namibia and South Africa.
