A Kenyan delegation has arrived in Washington D.C. for a three-day working tour aimed at boosting trade and investment ties between Kenya and the United States.
In a statement on Monday, August 18, Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui confirmed that he is leading the team, accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Trade, Regina Ombam.
"A delegation from the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, led by Hon. Lee Kinyanjui and Principal Secretary for Trade, Regina Ombam, is in Washington D.C. for a three-day working tour aimed at strengthening trade and investment relations between Kenya and the United States," he said.
According to the statement, the visit is expected to feature key meetings with American trade officials and private sector investors.
"The program includes high-level engagements with senior U.S. trade officials and targeted discussions with the American private sector through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Interest from U.S. companies in Kenya continues to grow, reflecting confidence in Kenya's economy as a strategic gateway to Africa," he added.
Read More
Kinyanjui explained that the talks will center on securing Kenya’s long-term trade position and overcoming tariff-related hurdles.
"The central focus of the discussions is securing Kenya's long-term trade and investment interests, with particular attention to safeguarding Kenya's exports beyond the expiry of AGOA and addressing tariff measures impacting our broader export portfolio," he further said.
The tour comes ahead of President William Ruto's visit to the US for the 90th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Speaking at the Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County on Saturday, August 16, he vowed to leverage the sidelines of the assembly to meet with the big tech companies to negotiate viable deals for the Kenyan content creators.
According to Ruto, first on his to-do list will be to meet with Google and Facebook representatives to negotiate with the company to integrate M-Pesa into the platforms' money trail.
"Next month, during my visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, I will meet leaders of major global technology companies to expand collaboration for the benefit of our creators. This includes integrating M-PESA into Facebook’s payment system to make payouts faster, easier, and more accessible.
"I will also ask Google to enable Kenyans to purchase adverts via M-PESA - a change that will benefit both creatives and MSMEs selling their products online, creating a win-win situation for Kenya and for YouTube, which will enjoy more transactions on its platform," he said.
Further, Ruto said he is set to meet the organisers of the Grammy Awards to push for the setting of a recording studio in Nairobi.
"I will meet with the Recording Academy, organisers of the Grammy Awards, to fast-track plans for establishing world-class studios here in Kenya and to set in motion the journey towards eventually hosting an African edition of the Grammys in Nairobi," he added.
