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Kenya Industrialization conference 2023

Industry News / Fri, 11/17/2023 - 16:36

INDUSTRIAL TRANSFORMATION AGENDA

The transformation of the Kenyan economy to create shared growth, decent jobs, and economic opportunities for all is a priority of the Kenya Kwanza Government. Emphasis is put on in-country value-addition and retention and according to preference the locally made goods and services, as a means of ploughing back taxpayers’ money to support baking an even bigger cake.kic

According to the World Bank, Kenya’s Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) was reported at 7.2442 % in 2021 and the State Department for Industry aspires to grow this to 15% by 2027 and to 20% by 2030. 

Further, Kenya’s aspiration of attaining the status of a Newly Industrializing Country (NIC) in a clean and serene environment by the year 2030 is premised on the creation of a flux of cumulative and sustainable manufacturing activities. This in turn calls for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to create a conducive environment for manufacturing opportunities to be conceived, grow and expand as viable and sustainable businesses.

Towards this end, the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI) in collaboration with United Nations Industrial Development Organization  (UNIDO), the University of Nairobi (UON),  the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA),  the Council of Governors (COG), the  Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations (KNFJKA), the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCC&I) and with support from Development partners other stakeholders,  purpose to organize Kenya Industrialization Conference 2023,  at the University of Nairobi  (UON) grounds from 20th to 22nd November 2023. The Conference is aimed at affording opportunities for thought-process involving experts drawn from academia, industry, policymakers and development partners from Kenya, the African Continent and the rest of the world, to enable Kenya develop National Industrialization strategy most suitable for making Kenya the preferred and competitive manufacturing hub for the African Continent.

The Kenya Industrialization Conference 2023 theme is “Accelerating AfCFTA Implementation through Value Chain Integration for Shared Prosperity”. The conference is also planned to coincide with Africa Industrialization Day 2023, whose theme is “the year for “Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation.”

 

 ACCELERATING INDUSTRIALIZATION OF KENYA

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU Assembly) adopted the African Union Theme of the Year 2023 as the year for “Acceleration of AfCFTA Implementation”. This augurs well with Kenya’s vision 2030 on the country’s economic transformation through accelerating industrialization. Integration will create a vast market for an industrializing Kenya and with it more opportunities by way of jobs and incomes for the Kenyan people.

Since the launch of Kenya Vision 2030, subsequent Governments have drawn their development agenda consistent with the aspirations of the Kenyan people and as enshrined in the blueprint. As we tend towards 2030, the country purposes to increase momentum in the pace for industrialization in order to realize its targets in various fields of endeavour. This is particularly so considering that the outbreak of COVID-19 and the attendant collapse of global value chains seriously slowed down industrialization. There is therefore dire need to create momentum for catching up on lost time and opportunities in order to ensure that we do not lose out on the manufacturing sector targets.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the conference is to create a platform for the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry to solicit inputs from national, regional and international industry stakeholders to inform the development of Kenya’s Industrialization Policy, National Industrialization Strategy and programmes.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

    1. Reviewing the performance and status of industrialization in line with international, regional and national best practices.
    2. Benchmarking Kenya’s Industrial performance with global trends.
    3. Analyzing performance of priority value chains in Kenya in order to determine challenges, strategic interventions and opportunities for driving industrial growth and competitiveness.
    4. Determining Kenya’s level of industrial technology and innovation in line with 4th Industrial Revolution for enhanced industrial catch-up.
    5. Determining the level of collaboration between tertiary institutions and industry players for enhancing technology and innovation development, transfer and commercialization.
    6. Developing a national integrated MSI development programme for sustainable industrialization in Kenya.
    7. Reviewing human and institutional requirements for supporting competitive industrialization.
    8. Reviewing current financing mechanisms for industrialization and identifying innovative measures.
    9. Identifying and prioritizing emerging issues and strategic intervention for enhanced global industrial competitiveness.

OUTCOMES

The following are the anticipated Outcomes of the Kenya Industrialization Conference

    1. Report on Kenya’s Industrial Performance aligned to the 4th Industrial Revolution for enhanced industrial growth and competitiveness.
    1. Industrial transformation framework (2023-2027).