One of Britain’s leading business support organisations, the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), is visiting Kenya this week with a delegation of UK businesses looking to build partnerships and increase investment with partners in Kenya. The group includes companies wanting to invest in key development sectors like water, roads and renewable energy and offering goods and services tailored to the Kenyan businesses and consumers.  

Representatives include solar energy experts, Daima Energy Solutions, led by Kenyan CEO Joyce Onuonga.  Daima’s plans to manufacture their solar energy products locally could have real impact in Kenya, providing affordable clean energy, creating job opportunities particularly targeted at the youth and raising environmental awareness amongst consumers.  Another company, Octagon Europe Limited, who offer sustainable and affordable housing solutions, will be looking to work with aid agencies, government and local businesses to help ensure access to decent and durable housing for slum dwellers, refugees and internally displaced people.  

The British High Commission’s UK Trade & Investment team (UKTI) have facilitated the visit for BCCI and have created a targeted programme for each of the delegates in the mission focusing on meetings with local businesses.  This is part of UKTI’s wider work to encourage further investment in Kenya and build on the strong commercial links between Kenyan and the UK.  The current BCCI mission underlines the increased interest from UK companies in doing business in Kenya and the region which UKTI have witnessed this year.

After visiting Kenya, the trade mission will travel to Uganda and Tanzania to look at further regional opportunities.   The delegation leader, Jonathan Webber, Director of International Trade at BCCI, also hopes to advance BCCI’s efforts to strengthen local Chambers of Commerce in Kenyan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Burundi and Mauritius.  A current project bid for the BCCI to do this through EC funding is currently under discussion with a decision expected by the end of January.

Ahead of the visit, Mr Webber said: “As ever we greatly look forward to visiting Kenya and East Africa. We are very pleased that our work contributes to economic growth and employment opportunities across all communities”.

Notes for Editors

1. There will be a briefing on 04 November at the Holiday Inn at 08.00a.m.and Members of the press are invited to cover the meeting. The British High Commissioner, the Head of UKTI, the leader of the BCCI delegation and a number of company executives including Daima Energy and Octagon will be available to speak to the media after the briefing.  

2. UK Trade and Investment has assisted more than 100 UK companies to establish contact and presence in the market over the past two years through market research, introduction and linkages with local partners. These companies have been drawn from a number of sectors including education, infrastructure, energy and carbon reduction initiatives, ICT, security amongst other sectors. UKTI has further supported local companies and exposed them to UK technologies through trade exhibitions and conferences in the UK such as Technology World, The Education Show and International Fire & Security Exhibition (IFSEC). In addition, trade between the two countries has continued to expand with the balance of trade strongly in Kenya’s favour.  In 2008 Kenya exports to the UK were valued at  over £315 million (sterling), with UK exports to Kenya valued at over £190 million sterling.

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