![](https://kepsa.or.ke/public/images/Event-1.jpg" class="post-image img-fluid)
Lorem, ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Consequatur magnam molestias recusandae odit voluptate beatae dignissimos est nesciunt vitae repellendus a aliquid
KEPSA is the private sector apex and umbrella body set up in 2003, to bring together business community in a single voice to engage and influence public policy for an enabling business environment. over 500,000 direct and indirect members..
KEPSA
7th Floor, South Tower, Two Rivers, Limuru Rd, Nairobi.
info@kepsa.or.ke
KEPSA PARTICIPATES IN THE BUILDING BRIDGES SOCIAL IMPACT EVENT
- Published On: 2024-06-03
KEPSA CEO Ms. Carole Kariuki on 3rd June 2024 joined other leaders at the Building Bridges Social Impact lunch meeting at the Equity Centre, Nairobi hosted by the Equity Group. The forum, which hosted several investors from the European market looking for opportunities in the Kenyan market and key private sector players, deliberated on the trade and investment landscape and opportunities in Kenya. The event was hosted by Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Group Holdings in partnership with Dr. Stephen Jackson, UN Resident Coordinator both who were speakers at the event. Other notable speakers at the event were the Swiss Ambassador H.E. Valentin Zellweger and Mr. Patrick Odier, Chairman of Swiss Sustainable Finance. Ms. Carole was part of a panel discussion that included Mr. Anthony Mwangi, CEO of Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM); Ms. Nasri Adam, Regional Director of AVPA; and Mr. Oscar Njuguna, CEO of the Nairobi International Finance Center. The participants included some Equity Group board members and top management.
The meeting was hosted on the backdrop of the 3-day Bridging Africa-Europe SDG Investment Summit. The Summit, a collaborative effort involving the Building Bridges Foundation in Geneva, the United Nations SDG Partnership Platform in Kenya, the Swiss Embassy, the UNDP Financial Centres for Sustainability, and the Nairobi International Financial Centre, supported by the Equity Bank Group, aims to bring together finance and investment experts from Europe and Africa. Its goal is to highlight investment opportunities and showcase examples of potential investment projects spanning both continents.
Speakers at the lunch meeting hailed the partnership, particularly highlighting that both Nairobi and Geneva are the diplomatic capitals of the world, and more should be done to build bridges in terms of trade and investment to facilitate growth and development.
In a panel discussion, Ms. Carole Kariuki offered insights into the landscape, depth as well as breadth of the businesses in Kenya. She called for more diversification into what Kenya has to offer while highlighting the tourism industry as one of the sectors that has never been exploited to its full potential. Regarding the recent presidential US trip, she highlighted the need for the private sector to explore other markets for investment.
“We have 20 or more businesses who have set up shop in Kenya. There was a lot of excitement among American businesses wanting to be in Kenya, wanting to do more in Kenya, but there was also interest in seeing businesses explore outside. Most of the countries we work with have always been from an export point of view, and to see some of our model businesses set up shop in the US was really outstanding.” Said Ms. Kariuki.
The summit will run for the next two days with key deliberations expected to foster connections between Switzerland and Europe, as well as Kenya and Africa.