More than 600 Kenyan businesses are expected to showcase their products in Rwanda as the government steps up efforts to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access regional markets and expand beyond Kenya.
Kenya on Sunday, October 25, flagged off locally manufactured products destined for Kigali ahead of the 26th East African Community (EAC) MSMEs Trade Fair, scheduled to run from October 30 to November 8, 2026, at the Gikondo Expo Ground.
The flag-off ceremony was led by Susan Mang’eni, Principal Secretary in the State Department for MSME Development, at the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority (MSEA) Centre of Excellence in Kariobangi, Nairobi.
The fair is expected to bring together more than 600 Kenyan exhibitors under the theme Advancing Regional Value Chains in Leather and Horticulture, giving local enterprises an opportunity to connect with potential buyers and business partners across the region.
Speaking during the flag-off, Mang’eni said the EAC market, comprising approximately 331 million people with a combined gross domestic product of Ksh46.19 trillion (USD356 billion), offered Kenyan businesses significant opportunities to expand their reach.
“This event will present an opportunity for Kenyan MSMEs to understand emerging market dynamics and business practices, to build the linkages that sustain trade long after the exhibition closes, and to test new and improved technologies against regional demand,” she said.
The government is positioning the trade fair as a platform for enterprises to explore demand beyond the domestic market, establish commercial relationships and identify opportunities to participate in regional and global supply chains.
Kenya's existing trade links with Rwanda
Kenyan businesses will be entering a market where the country already has established commercial ties. According to a press release obtained by Vantage Ke, Kenya ranks among Rwanda’s top five sources of imports, with more than 1,300 Kenyan companies already trading in the country.
Kenya is also Rwanda’s second-largest agricultural supplier and its largest agricultural supplier from within Africa, a relationship that aligns with this year's focus on horticulture.
The products being sent to the fair are described by the government as 100 per cent Kenyan-made and compliant with international market requirements. However, the announcement did not disclose the value of the products being shipped or provide projected sales from the exhibition.
Government eyes wider African market
Beyond the Kigali exhibition, MSEA says it is working to help small businesses maintain commercial relationships after trade fairs end.
MSEA Director General Henry Rithaa said the authority continued to market locally produced goods through its online marketing portal while promoting product aggregation to support enterprises seeking regional markets.
The approach is intended to enable businesses to continue trading within the EAC beyond the exhibition period and position them to explore opportunities in the wider African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which the statement identifies as a potential market of 1.3 billion people.
The initiative could help participating businesses look beyond one-off exhibitions, although the authority did not provide figures on sales generated through its online portal or the number of enterprises currently benefiting from the programme.
MSMEs link market access to job creation
John Kihiu, chairman of the Confederation of Micro and Small Enterprises Organisations (CMSEO) Kenya Chapter, said access to buyers was central to the growth of small businesses and their ability to create jobs.
“When our enterprises find buyers, everything else follows. They grow, they hire, and they reinvest in their businesses. Platforms like this Fair open doors that many small businesses could never open on their own,” Kihiu said.
His remarks underline the importance of turning trade opportunities into actual orders, sustained demand and business expansion.
The fair will also be joined by members of the Kenyan diaspora in Rwanda, according to the announcement. For participating enterprises, the key test will be whether the exhibition leads to lasting buyer relationships and increased sales after the event concludes on November 8.
