Kenya targets Rwanda market for 500 MSEs
Co-operatives and MSME Development Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya speaking during the commissioning of the National Organising Committee for the 26th EAC MSMEs Trade Fair in Nairobi on August 25, 2026. Photo/Courtesy
Kenya is seeking to expand its footprint in Rwanda by taking 500 micro and small enterprises to the 26th East African Community MSMEs Trade Fair as it targets wider regional and continental markets.
Co-operatives and Micro Small and Medium Enterprise( MSME) Development Cabinet Secretary Dr Wycliffe Oparanya commissioned a multi-sectoral National Organising Committee to coordinate Kenya’s participation in the trade fair, scheduled for October 30 to November 8, 2026, in Kigali, Rwanda.
Oparanya said Kenya was entering the Rwandan market from a position of strength, with more than 1,300 Kenyan companies already trading in the country.
He said Kenya has also consistently ranked among Rwanda’s top five sources of imports, creating an existing market base that local MSMEs can build on.
“Every product headed to Kigali must be 100 per cent Kenyan-made and meet international market requirements,” CS Oparanya said.
The trade fair will be held under the theme, “Advancing Regional Value Chains in Leather and Horticulture,” and is expected to bring together more than 1,000 enterprises from the eight EAC Partner States.
The government said the event will give Kenyan MSMEs an opportunity to showcase their products, establish business partnerships and access buyers and markets beyond Kenya.
Principal Secretary for MSMEs Development Susan Mang’eni said the size of the EAC market presented a major opportunity for Kenyan enterprises seeking to integrate into regional and global value chains.
“The EAC has a population of 331 million people and a combined GDP of USD 356 billion, which is a real opportunity for our MSMEs to enter regional and global value chains,” PS Mang’eni said.
Micro and Small Enterprises Authority( MSEA) Board Chairman James Mureu said access to markets remained critical to the growth of enterprises, job creation and productive investment in the MSME sector.
He said creating reliable markets for MSME products would encourage more entrepreneurs to expand production and invest in their businesses.
MSEA Chief Executive Officer Henry Rithaa said the authority would also use technology to ensure Kenyan MSME products continue reaching markets after the Kigali trade fair.
Rithaa said products from Kenyan MSEs would be marketed through MSEA’s marketing portal, while the authority would promote forward linkages and aggregation of products to sustain access to regional markets.
He said the strategy would enable Kenyan enterprises to move beyond the EAC market and pursue opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area, which brings together a market of about 1.3 billion people.
MSEA is spearheading Kenya’s participation in the Kigali fair and will facilitate 500 MSEs to exhibit their products.
The trade fair is expected to provide enterprises with opportunities to exchange knowledge with businesses from other EAC Partner States while strengthening value chains in leather and horticulture.
Kenyan enterprises seeking to participate have until September 30, 2026, to register for the trade fair.
