KEPSA participated in the U.S. – Africa Business Forum that was held on 14^th December 2022 at the Washington Convention Centre in Washington D.C., U.S.A. The forum occurred on the sidelines of the U.S. -Africa Leaders Summit.

Kenya's delegation was led by H.E President Dr William Ruto together with a host of Cabinet Secretaries, top government officials and private sector leaders. Some of the Kenyan business leaders in the forum included; KEPSA CEO Ms Carole Kariuki, Equity Group Holdings CEO Dr James Mwangi, Kenya Airways CEO Mr Allan Kilavuka, Safaricom CEO Mr Peter Ndegwa, Kenya Commercial Bank CEO Mr Paul Russo, American Chamber of Commerce Kenya Chairperson Ms Brenda Mbathi among others.

The theme of the forum was 'Partnering for a Prosperous and Resilient Future: Building a mutually beneficial trade and investment partnership between the United States and countries across the African continent'. Discussions centred around how U.S. and African businesses will enhance their partnerships with the U.S. government to address the many contemporary challenges. The business forum also presented an opportunity for the public and private sectors to strategize on how to partner on unleashing the full potential of the economic growth abundant on the continent – not just for the few at the top, but inclusively for the many.

Delegates were welcomed by Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) President & CEO Ms Florie Liser with President & CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Suzanne P. Clark who acknowledged Africa as an increasingly important market for the global economy, terming Africa as a critical partner in on the verge of a major socioeconomic revolution. "We need a policy environment that promotes the rule of law, customs modernization, 21st-century infrastructure, clear rules in data handling and more. We believe that AfCFTA can go a long way in addressing some of these concerns and making clear that Africa is open for business," remarked Ms Clark.

In his remarks, the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) H.E Macky Sall, President of Senegal noted that for Africa to attract investments, the continent needed to put in place robust public policies that will ensure economic stability and a conducive business climate through a predictable and transparent legal framework.

Other speakers during the forum included U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and former U.S. President George W. Bush who talked about an HIV program he started and its impact. U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke on the U.S. stepping up its economic diplomacy for both the U.S. government and businesses with Africa, making AGOA work better, working on tax regimes, and managing risks, among other investment areas.

In a panel session on Charting the Course: The Future of U.S.-Africa Trade & Investment Relations, H.E Dr William Ruto, President of Kenya, pointed out the need for Africa and the U.S to take advantage of trade and investment opportunities through a well-engineered win-win formula taking to account competitive advantage of U.S's huge capital potential and advance tech as well as Africa's expansive market through AfCFTA and clean energy resources. President Ruto was joined by H.E. Aziz Akhannouch, Prime Minister, Kingdom of Morocco; Mr Tony O. Elumelu, Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA Group); Mr Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Visa Inc.; Mr Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General, AfCFTA Secretariat; T.H. Ambassador Katherine Tai, U.S. Trade Representative and moderated by Ms Reta Jo Lewis, President & Chair, Export-Import Bank of the United States.

The keynote address was delivered by U.S. President H.E. Joseph Biden as the forum came to a close. He made several commitments that would spur trade and investments between the U.S. and Africa including facilitating infrastructural investments and supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. Watch the speech; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBtlB_9lJ1A

A total of 46 African Presidents and Heads of State attended the three-day U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit Forum that kicked off on 13^th December 2022 with an aim to uplift and empower African institutions, citizens and nations through discussions about challenges such as health, democracy, governance, investment, development, climate change and more. During the summit, AfCFTA Secretariat signs an M.O.U with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to unlock new opportunities for trade and investment between U.S. and Africa. See other partnerships signed in the Deal Room: https://www.prosperafrica.gov/us-africa-leaders-summit-livestream/