Kenya Steps Up Preparations for 26th EAC MSMEs Trade Fair
By Christopher mbiti
August 25, 2026
NAIROBI, Aug. 25 — Preparations for Kenya’s participation in the 26th East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Trade Fair have intensified following the commissioning of a multi-sectoral National Organizing Committee.
Co-operatives and MSME Development Cabinet Secretary Dr. Wycliffe Oparanya commissioned the committee on Monday ahead of the regional trade fair scheduled for October 30 to November 8, 2026, in Kigali, Rwanda.
The fair will be held under the theme, “Advancing Regional Value Chains in Leather and Horticulture,” and is expected to bring together more than 1,000 enterprises from the eight EAC Partner States.
Oparanya said Kenya was participating from a position of strength, noting that the country has consistently ranked among Rwanda’s top five sources of imports, with more than 1,300 Kenyan companies already trading in the Rwandan market.
He said Kenyan enterprises must use the platform to expand their market presence while ensuring that products destined for Kigali are fully Kenyan-made and meet international market standards.
“We enter Rwanda from a position of strength,” said Oparanya, emphasizing the need for enterprises to leverage existing trade relations to deepen regional commerce.
Principal Secretary for MSME Development Susan Mang’eni said the EAC regional market presents significant opportunities for Kenyan enterprises, given its population of about 331 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product of approximately USD356 billion.
Mang’eni said the regional market provides MSMEs with an opportunity to integrate into regional and global value chains, particularly through increased cross-border trade and investment.
Meanwhile, Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) Board Chairman James Mureu said access to markets remains critical to the growth and sustainability of enterprises.
“Access to markets is the pre-requisite for encouraging enterprise growth, job creation and productive investment for the MSME sector,” Mureu said.
MSEA Chief Executive Officer Henry Rithaa said the Authority would use technology to ensure Kenyan MSMEs continue benefiting from the trade fair beyond the physical event.
Rithaa said products from Kenyan MSEs would be marketed through MSEA’s online marketing portal, enabling technology-driven fulfilment and creating opportunities for enterprises to reach customers beyond the fair.
He added that MSEA was also championing forward linkages and aggregation of MSME products to sustain access to the EAC market and the wider African market after the trade fair.
According to Rithaa, such initiatives would position Kenyan MSMEs to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area market, which brings together about 1.3 billion people.
MSEA is spearheading Kenya’s participation and plans to facilitate 500 micro and small enterprises to exhibit at the Kigali trade fair.
The initiative is expected to provide Kenyan enterprises with opportunities to showcase locally manufactured products, establish business linkages and explore new regional markets.
Organizers have urged interested enterprises to register before the September 30, 2026 deadline as preparations gather momentum.
The trade fair is expected to strengthen intra-EAC trade while creating opportunities for MSMEs to access new markets, build partnerships and contribute to regional value-chain development.
The initiative comes as Kenya seeks to expand opportunities for MSMEs, which remain an important source of employment, entrepreneurship and economic activity across the country.
Ends.
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