Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui, leads his PS,
State Department for Investment Promotion, Abubakar Hassan Abubakar (behind) and the
Invest Kenya CEO, John Mwendwa (left) to the Radisson Blu Hotel for inspection to ensure its
readiness to host the KIICO summit beginning 25 to 27, 2026./HANDOUT
Nairobi City will be the point of convergence as delegates from across the seas and oceans congregate at the Radisson Blu Hotel for the fourth Kenya International Investment Conference, beginning Wednesday, March 25 to 27 March 2026.
The country’s ambition is to secure over USD2 Billion in signed bankable investment deals, position Kenya as the regional investment hub and demonstrate its radical transformation in improving the environment for ease of doing business.
Other key objectives are to sign 10-20 high-level strategic investment deals, including those in the Invest Kenya pipeline and attract additional commitments with interested investors.
To achieve these objectives, Kenya seeks to promote inherent investment opportunities through showcasing exciting large-scale opportunities to global investors, highlighting opportunities through sectoral side events, and matching 10-ready investors with investment opportunities, among them 20 high-impact opportunities across different sectors that require investment.
Mutually, the conference that is expected to attract representation from more than 30 countries from across the globe, will announce progressive policy changes, create a platform for high-level policy discussions, make strategic policy announcements and pronounce three to five crucial business policies to accelerate investment deals.
In positioning Kenya as a preferred investment destination, the event’s organisers are out to pitch the nation’s investment climate and enablers, highlight the gains from investments promotion and facilitation, with the Digital One Stop Centre as an example, and increase investor leads by 30 per cent post conference.
Under the theme, “Invest in Kenya: The hub of East and Central Africa.” the inaugural KIICO was held in November 2014, attracting over 1,400 delegates with the second one held in November 2015, themed, “Choose Kenya, country of unlimited possibilities,” and the 3rd, in May 2023 themed “unlocking Africa’s Gateway,” which drew over 2,500 global delegates to promote investment in Kenya and across Africa by leveraging the then nascent AFCFTA
The 2026 summit targets to catalyse USD2 billion in strategic investments aimed to drive job creation, enterprise growth and economic transformation across priority sectors, according to the State Department for Investment Promotion’s Principal Secretary, Mr Abubakar Hassan Abubakar.
“The conference is designed to translate investment interests into tangible economic outcomes,” says the PS.
The summit targets Private equity partners, Venture capital firms, Corporate expansion executives, Sovereign and pension funds and Chief Executive Officers, as well as chief business venture financiers.
PS Abubakar explains that KIICO 2026 targets to bring together local and international investors, Kenyan businesses, policymakers and development partners to unlock capital for projects aligned with national development priorities, with the aim of scaling investment that delivers real results for Kenyans; more jobs, stronger local industries and sustainable growth across the counties.
The conference he says, is a key pillar in the implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), with a strong focus on employment generation across sectors such as agriculture, textiles and apparel, BPO/ICT, leather, e-mobility, clean cooking, renewable energy, and circular economy, mining and the creative economy as well as the enabling ecosystem focusing on special economic zones and finance.
“KIICO 2026 is about scaling investment that delivers real results for Kenyans; more jobs, stronger local industries and sustainable growth across our counties as envisioned in the BETA Plan.
It takes care of both local and international investors. To the visitors, the high-level meeting aims to showcase opportunities in the large-scale sectors with clear positive Returns on Investments, the country’s policy stability and regulatory clarity, as well as guaranteed access to senior government decision-makers and reliable data, market size and sector forecasts.
Locally, the summit brings in MSMEs, Kenyan corporates, Industry associations, startups, and innovation hubs alongside professional service firms.
These Kenyan businesspeople are looking for access to foreign investors and funding Channels, Partnerships, Export opportunities, visibility, and inclusion in national projects, besides policy support and easier business processes.
The conference, Invest Kenya Chief Executive Officer Mr John Mwendwa says, will serve as a practical platform for connecting capital to bankable opportunities with a sharp focus on project execution, focused on converting more sectoral opportunities into investment commitments.
The three-day event will feature three flagship events -the Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO 2026) on 25th March 2026, the 2nd COMESA Investment Forum on 26th March 2026 and the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII) Forum on 27th March 2026.
It builds on previous editions that strengthened investor confidence and facilitated partnerships across multiple sectors and it is expected to attract thousands of participants, reinforcing Kenya’s position as a competitive and resilient investment destination.
OGS: Lawrence Kinoti works at the Office of Government Spokesperson
Comments 0
Sign in to join the conversation
Sign In Create AccountNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!