Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, on Saturday, April 22, stated that he will be leading a high-level government and private sector delegation to the United States of America to strengthen trade ties.
The US business tour is expected to bolster economic ties between the two countries amidst ongoing trade negotiations in Nairobi.
Among events lined up included a Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Washington D.C. and a trade and investment Road Show in New York City.
The New York roadshow will be used to pitch investment opportunities to American investors.
"The trade and investment roadshow in New York is in response to the formidable case presented by U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman, during the AmCham Business Summit held in Nairobi from 29th-30th March 2023," read part of the statement.
New York trade and investment roadshow will involve presentations by US government officials, Kenyan Government officials and various sector players and investors.
Kuria stated networking events and other organised meetings will be used to leverage the Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO 2023) held in Nairobi from 29th-31st May 2023.
"Kenya as a gateway to Africa and Africa as a whole offers tremendous potential for American investors and looks forward to showcasing this potential," Kuria stated.
President William Ruto's government is seeking to increase Foreign Direct Investments from Ksh70 billion ($500) million in 2022 to Ksh100 billion ($10 billion) this year through Pitches to investors at high-level meetings, international conferences and roadshows in New York.
In Washington DC, U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kenya's Foreign Cabinet Secretary, Dr Alfred Mutua, will co-chair Bilateral Strategic Dialogue to discuss five key areas namely, including, Economic Prosperity, Health, Democracy and Governance, Defense Cooperation, Regional and Multilateral Issues and long-term trade relations.
"Bilateral Strategic Dialogue will seek to reaffirm U.S.-Kenya commitment to the main agreed areas for economic collaboration, namely; increasing two-way trade and investment, overcoming policy obstacles to economic growth, and building a long-term trade relationship," read part Kuria's statement.
In the same meeting, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) Global Markets Camille Richardson will lead a session to review the impact of the investment climate and ICT policy commitments President William Ruto proposed at the 2023 AmCham Summit.
"Among the key issues to be discussed will include partnership in commercialisation of biotech seeds and crops following Kenya's decision to lift the ban on cultivation and importation Genetically Modified (GMO) crops," Kuria confirmed.
Kenyan delegation will eventually join global leaders at the 26th annual Milken Institute Global Conference, in Los Angeles. Kuria will speak at the conference, bringing together more than 4,000 participants globally. By Mark Obar, Kenyans.co.ke