President William Ruto has called for stronger regional integration and innovation-driven growth as East African nations work to empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), describing them as the engines of job creation and the anchors of shared prosperity.
Speaking at the official opening of the 25th East African Community (EAC) MSMEs Trade Fair at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Ruto said MSMEs remain central to the region’s economic transformation and industrial growth.
The trade fair, which marks its silver jubilee, brings together entrepreneurs from all eight EAC partner states to showcase innovation, build partnerships and expand market access.
Ruto paid tribute to the founding leaders of the EAC — Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, the late Daniel arap Moi of Kenya, and the late Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania — for laying the foundation that revived the regional bloc 25 years ago.
He said the Jua Kali–Nguvu Kazi exhibition, launched alongside the EAC Treaty, had grown into a strategic platform for regional trade and innovation.
“A quarter-century later, the EAC has blossomed into a powerful bloc of eight partner states representing more than 300 million citizens,” Ruto said.
“This trade fair is no longer merely a marketplace but a platform for skills exchange, innovation and structured dialogue to remove barriers to trade.”
The President said the region must harness emerging opportunities from digital transformation, a growing youthful population and continental trade frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He urged partner states to domesticate the AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade to enhance inclusion and access to opportunity.
Highlighting Kenya’s economic agenda, Ruto said the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) places MSMEs at the centre of national development alongside agriculture, healthcare, housing, and the digital and creative economy.
He cited government initiatives including the Hustler Fund, which has disbursed Sh80 billion to 26.7 million Kenyans since 2022, and the establishment of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks in all 47 counties to strengthen agro-processing and value addition.
Ruto also said the government is constructing 100,000 kilometres of digital superhighway, with 30,000 kilometres already completed, to support e-commerce and public Wi-Fi access in markets and villages.
Over 22,000 government services are now available on the e-Citizen platform, simplifying business registration and improving efficiency.
He announced that the recently launched National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme will support 110,000 young entrepreneurs through training, mentorship, and start-up capital.
Ruto welcomed the establishment of the International Trade Centre’s Regional Hub in Nairobi, saying it would strengthen the region’s link to global markets.
He also reaffirmed the commitment of EAC Heads of State to eliminate non-tariff barriers that continue to hinder cross-border trade.
“It is now my singular honour to declare the 25th East African Community MSMEs Trade Fair officially open,” he said.
