On 23^rd February 2022, KEPSA CEO Ms. Carole Kariuki, KEPSA Advisor and USA Representative Mr. Sam Mwale met with Dr. Kenneth L. Harris, Ph.D. President/CEO National Business League, Inc. (NBL), Mr. Larry D. Yon, Managing Partner Chief Operating Officer B&C International, in a follow-up virtual meeting after both KEPSA and NBL signed an MoU in November 2021. During the meeting, they sought to update each other on related activities of which both organizations had accomplished so far. 

As the two organizations progress with regards to joint implementation of the MoU, it was agreed as follows:

1. NBL will plug in and support the KEPSA CCA U.S – Kenya SME Trade Initiative program by reaching out to Black-owned American companies within its membership to also participate and support the initiative of which is set to be launched on 8th March 2022. The initiative will provide a unique platform to facilitate U.S. and Kenyan SME partnerships, support women and youth-run Kenyan entrepreneurs as well as U.S. women, minority, and diaspora-owned businesses, and help SMEs in both countries address the current challenges many face to access the two markets. It is anticipated the NBL members will also partner with Kenyan SME’s and forge business relations born out of this initiative
2. There will be an identification of large American organizations as well as American SMEs for purposes of match-making purposes with Large Kenyan companies as well as Kenyan SME’s with the intention of also forging business relationships between US and Kenyan based organizations. The matchmaking will be followed by virtual B2B meetings to enable better familiarity between US and Kenyan organizations to be followed with an in-person business forum later in the year. Corporate mentorship will also be a key output from this initiative.
3. To convene and host a supplier conference of which will assist in the identification of opportunities from which the Kenyan private sector can participate with regards to doing business between the two countries resultant of pre-identified supplier opportunities that are already structured with regards to ease in participation. This will lead to greater uptake of business opportunities
4. To identify bottlenecks hindering trade between Kenya and the US as well as engage regulators on the same for joint resolution.

Over View of the National Business League:

The National Business League was founded in 1900 by Booker T. Washington, as the first and oldest trade association representing Black business in the United States to promote interests of US-Black businesses and is the premier voice for US-Black businesses devoted to promoting US-Africa business relations and includes as members more than 120,000 US Black businesses companies, representing the nearly 2.9 million Black-owned businesses in the United States. NBL established a Memorandum of Understanding with B&C International, LLP to strengthen United States – African commercial relations by fostering commercial dialogue and engagement for Black and minority business enterprises. NBL’s member network ranges from America’s smallest Black-owned businesses to the largest Fortune 500 corporations.

Some of the key objectives of the KEPSA NBL MoU are:

1. Jointly promote, develop, and strengthen trade, investment, joint ventures, and other types of business relationships between KEPSA’s members and NBL’s members
2. Seek to promote a better knowledge, understanding, confidence and trust between Black and African businesses in the US and their Kenyan counterparties
3. Jointly provide business forums and platforms to introduce Kenyan and American businesses to know and understand one another, develop trust and confidence in potential partners, make pitches, exhibit their wares, seek deals, among other activities.
4. Advocate for better policies and regulations in the respective countries and with their respective authorities