Over 150 local manufacturers launch festival on local content

Changamka Kenya Shopping Festival Kicks off  

Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives have today kicked off the Biggest Shopping Festival in Kenya.

The 3rd Kenya Manufacturing Summit and Expo 2019, dubbed Changamka Shopping Festival, is an opportunity for industry, stakeholders and the public to celebrate and deliberate on transforming the nation through industrialization. It is also a platform to showcase the diversity of locally manufactured innovations and goods.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary, Mr Peter Munya said that the Government is committed to supporting the private sector to increase investments and exports, adding that the Government is ready to collaborate with local manufacturers to increase competitiveness and value addition.

“This Festival provides opportunities to discuss thematic areas including financing, export development and promotion and the vital role of the county governments in promoting the sector. The Government is committed to addressing the challenges hampering the growth of the sector through policy interventions such as Buy Kenya Build Kenya and Local Content Policies. We are also collaborating with financial institutions towards creating a framework that will ensure that the private sector lends to SMEs,” added CS Munya.

Also at the event, KAM Chair Mr Sachen Gudka reiterated the Cabinet Secretary’s statement. He noted that in order to achieve the Big Four Agenda, stakeholders must be deliberate in their drive to achieve the industrialization agenda, adding that manufacturing-led growth is achievable in Kenya, as the sector diversifies through transformative technologies to increase productivity and establish new frontiers for new jobs.

“Our ambition to grow the sector’s contribution to 15% of GDP translates to a change in strategy as a country. Policymakers must hear our voices and act to strengthen manufacturing and our nation’s future, to give us the tools we need to compete in the 21st-century economy and to make our tomorrow better than our today.

Small manufacturers and businesses are the backbone of our industry and the economy. In fact, 63% of our Association’s membership are manufacturing SMEs. As part of our initiatives to promote SMEs, we will be launching a SME Hub within the Association that will focus on offering a bouquet of services and products aimed at incubators, accelerators and scale for manufacturing SMEs,” added Mr Gudka.

Brand Kenya Board Chairman, Mr Linus Gitahi noted that the Festival is an opportunity for Kenyans to take pride in locally made products.

“I call upon all Kenyans, both in the Capital and in the Counties, to join in this celebration. It is important that we take pride in Made in Kenya Products that carry the Kenyan Brand across the world. This Festival is not just about producing locally, but also about a country that has a solid base,” concluded Mr Gitahi.

The 4-day Shopping Festival is set to host over 100,000 participants from all sectors across the 47 counties. It will consist of exhibitions, summits, a fashion show, product launches and a family fun day.

There will also be entertainment from renowned Kenyan musicians, Nameless, Juacali and King Kaka.