By Guest Writer
Kenya’s President, William Ruto has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to delivering a more predictable, transparent and investment-friendly business environment, while highlighting progress on reforms and new opportunities for U.S. investors across manufacturing, critical minerals, technology and trade.
President Ruto said Kenya’s proposition to investors is built around predictability, with ongoing reforms to reduce regulatory bottlenecks, improve licensing, protect investments and to make it easier to navigate public institutions. He was speaking at the AmCham Business Summit 2026 convened by the American Chamber of Commerce Kenya (AmCham Kenya) and the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.
President Ruto said: “This Summit convenes at a defining moment. Global capital is seeking new frontiers; businesses are reconfiguring their operations and supply chains, and Africa is emerging as the world’s next major horizon for growth. This year’s theme, “Advancing Mutual Prosperity Through Trade and Investment”, captures the next phase of the Kenya -United States relationship, measured by the volume of our trade, the scale of our investment and the jobs we create. Ultimately, predictability is the product Kenya is pitching. Capital moves when the rules are clear, licenses are issued on time, verified refunds are paid, contracts are respected, and agreed terms do not change halfway through an investment.”
Addressing business leaders from the United States and the East Africa region attending the Summit, the President highlighted progress made in fulfilling his commitments at the 2023 Summit. These include removal of VAT on exported services, changes to tax refund rules, reforms to employee share taxation and removal of 30% local equity requirement for major technology firms.
The President added that Kenya’s foreign direct investment had risen from US$1.5 billion in 2022 to a record US$3.2 billion last year, while nearly 100 Special Economic Zone enterprises licensed over the past four years have created 22,000 industrial jobs. President noted that ongoing reforms include implementation of the County Licensing (Uniform Procedures) Act, the proposed Investment and Export Promotion Bill, a digitized Investment One Stop Centre and new measures to simplify compliance requirements for businesses.
These reforms, he stated, come as Kenya seeks to attract a larger share of global investment. President Ruto said American companies had committed more than US$600 million in new projects since the previous Summit in 2024, citing investments by Oracle, Coca-Cola, Mars Wrigley and SC Johnson. He also noted that Ford is exploring opportunities in Kenya, underscoring growing interest in local manufacturing and regional production.
Critical minerals were also identified as a major area for future investment, with Kenya inviting capital not only for extraction but for processing and downstream manufacturing in rare earths, titanium, graphite, lithium and other strategic resources. At the same time, President Ruto welcomed the recent extension of AGOA to December 2028, stressing that Kenya’s longer-term ambition is to build a more enduring, reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States.
Speaking at the Summit, Frank W. Garcia Jr., Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, reinforced Kenya’s position as a gateway for international investment into Africa, noting that President Ruto’s presence at the Summit sent a strong signal about Kenya’s commitment to deepening the U.S. – Kenya commercial partnership.
“I spent many years focused on Africa in the United States Congress, and as I step into my role as Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, one thing is clear, Africa, and Kenya specifically, stand at a strategic inflection point. This inflection point will guide many African nations to continue the trajectory to becoming world economic leaders. The continent has it all, human talent, natural resources, and entrepreneurial drive. When African nations and the United States choose to work together, we unlock prosperity, we safeguard freedoms we hold dear, and we win together.”
The Assistant Secretary highlighted the shift in U.S. policy towards Africa, noting that the relationship is moving away from a model centred on aid dependency towards one focused on trade, investment and mutual benefit. He stated that the Trump administration seeks a “win-win” partnership with African countries, built around commercial outcomes and shared prosperity.
As an example of this shift, he noted that the administration and the U.S. State Department have helped close 50 transactions worth US$28.2 billion across sub-Saharan Africa. “Kenya sits at a strategic crossroad. Africa is not a footnote; it’s a gateway to a US$3.4 trillion market, and Kenya is leading the way. We look forward to taking our balanced trade relationship to the next level.”
AMCHAM Kenya’s Board President, Angela Ng’ang’a lauded the progresses made in identifying and implementing strategies that support the U.S.- Africa trade and business relations. Ms. Ng’ang’a urged businesses to take advantage of business reforms to expand partnerships in Kenya and beyond.
The AmCham President said “The government has taken bold steps to strengthen the business environment and reinforce investor confidence. American companies increasingly see Kenya not just as a market, but as a launchpad for regional and continental growth. Together, we have tracked nine priority reforms at the heart of the U.S.–Kenya commercial relationship. These reforms matter because they unlock something far more important than policy -they unlock possibility. The Board President highlighted priority areas for next phase of growth including completing the work underway on VAT refunds and transfer pricing and building a tax environment that is predictable and competitive; harmonizing the economic zones framework; unlocking new sectors of growth including sports.
She singled out the Sports Bill, currently before Kenya’s parliament that aims to transform sport into a commercially investable industry thereby creating opportunities in infrastructure, talent, media, technology, and sponsorship and; establishing a high-level reform tracker that formalizes a standing, high level review mechanism between AmCham and Kenya’s Government, that keeps reforms on track, resolves issues quickly, and ensures momentum does not slow.
During the Summit, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Susan Burns announced the signing of several agreements, including: 1. Digital Realty, the world’s largest cloud- and carrier-neutral data center platform, that officially expanded its presence in East Africa, launching an US$80 million data center in Nairobi, Kenya. 2. Launch of a blockchain powered mobility financing platform built in Kenya by American Companies, Telecoin and Power Hive, that lets investors finance electric assets directly and settle payments instantly through global wallets. 3. The United States and Kenya are a deepening cooperation on cargo screening, container security, and customs and enforcement. The United States is bringing in trusted American vendors and screening port systems and logistics infrastructure.
- The United States is facilitating increased bilateral engagement between Kenya, American leaders, and key sectors will have upcoming delegations to the U.S. to look at the creative industries and cybersecurity. 5. A new five-year, US$19.2 million Department of Agriculture project to improve access to affordable, high-quality livestock feed in Kenya.
The initiative is being implemented by Counterpart International in partnership with Rootooba, the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA), and the State Department for Livestock Development under Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke. 6. Launch of select USA tech pitch competition for Kenyan startup.
Winner will head to the USA in May 2027 to pitch their business to leading venture capital investors and learn from their peers. The AmCham Business Summit is a two-day gathering focused on translating policy dialogue into commercial outcomes, including investment commitments, stronger regional value chains and partnerships that create jobs and expand trade. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
