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DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
More than 600 Kenyan businesses prepare to showcase products at East African MSME Trade Fair
Kenya flagged off exhibitors for the 26th East African Community (EAC) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Trade Fair on 25 October at the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) Kariobangi Centre of Excellence in Nairobi. The fair runs from 30 October to 8 November 2026 at the Gikondo Expo Grounds in Kigali, Rwanda.
According to the Kenya News Agency, the ceremony was led by Susan Mang'eni, Principal Secretary for the State Department for MSME Development. MSEA is facilitating the participation of about 600 Kenyan enterprises, while about 600 more participants from the diaspora and neighbouring countries are expected. Organisers anticipate more than 1,200 enterprises from the eight EAC Partner States. The fair's theme is advancing regional value chains in leather and horticulture. Mang'eni said exhibitors had to show that their goods are locally manufactured and meet verification requirements.
Mang'eni said the EAC market of about 331 million people and a combined gross domestic product of US$356 billion offers Kenyan businesses a route to new customers. Kenya is among Rwanda's top five sources of imports, and more than 1,300 Kenyan companies already operate in the country.
For smaller firms, regional exhibitions can offer access to buyers and distributors that are difficult to reach individually. Participation does not guarantee export contracts, however. Businesses must still meet product standards, pricing expectations, packaging requirements and customs procedures.
The development value of the fair will depend on whether it produces sustained commercial relationships and repeat orders rather than short term visibility. Business support organisations and financial institutions may also use the event to identify enterprises that need export readiness support, trade finance, product certification or help with digital sales channels.
DevNews Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
26 October 2026 · Nairobi, Kenya, and Kigali, Rwanda
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