Kenya sends 600 MSMEs products to EAC Trade Fair in Rwanda

Kenya will showcase products from 600 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at the 26th East African Community (EAC) MSMEs Trade Fair in Kigali, Rwanda, in a move aimed at expanding market access for local businesses and strengthening regional trade.

The products were flagged off today by the Principal Secretary (PS) for MSME Development, Susan Mang’eni, at the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) Kariobangi Centre of Excellence in Nairobi.

The exhibition, held under the theme “Advancing Regional Value Chains in Leather and Horticulture”, is expected to bring together more than 1,200 enterprises from the eight EAC Partner States.

Mang’eni said the regional market, with an estimated population of 331 million people and a combined gross domestic product of USD 356 billion, offered Kenyan businesses opportunities to reach new buyers and participate in regional and international value chains.

She said the focus on leather and horticulture would allow Kenyan enterprises to showcase their products, understand changing market demands and establish business linkages beyond the exhibition.

The MSEA is facilitating the participation of 600 Kenyan micro and small enterprises, with the products destined for the fair described as locally manufactured and meeting international market requirements.

Kenya already has an established trading relationship with Rwanda, ranking among its top five sources of imports, with more than 1,300 Kenyan companies operating in the market.

Kenya is Rwanda’s second-largest supplier of agricultural products and the largest from within Africa, providing an existing market for Kenyan horticultural produce.

MSEA Director General Henry Rithaa said the Authority was supporting enterprises through an online marketing portal and product aggregation initiatives to help businesses continue accessing markets after trade fairs.

He said the initiatives would help local enterprises, explore opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area, which serves a market of about 1.3 billion people.

John Kihiu, Chairman of the Confederation of Micro and Small Enterprise Organisations (CMSEO), Kenya Chapter, said access to markets was essential for business growth, employment creation and investment in the micro and small enterprise sector.

He said regional trade exhibitions provided small businesses with opportunities to connect with buyers and expand their operations.

The MSEA is coordinating Kenya’s participation in partnership with the Kenya Industrial Estates, the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Women Enterprise Fund, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kenya Private Sector Alliance and Uwezo Fund.

The enterprises will showcase Kenyan-made products at the regional exhibition, running from October 30 to November 8, 2026, at Gikondo Expo-Ground.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya form the backbone of the economy, accounting for about 98 percent of all businesses and driving about 85 percent of non-farm employment.

By Wangari Ndirangu