Kenya’s economic engagement with China is increasingly shifting beyond the importation of finished goods towards technology transfer, local manufacturing and investment, as hundreds of businesses converge in Nairobi for an industrial exhibition.
The 9th Kenya International Industrial Expo and Kenya Investment & Trade Fair 2026, which opened at the Sarit Expo Centre on Thursday, has brought together manufacturers, investors, technology companies, entrepreneurs and buyers from Kenya, China and other international markets.
Running until September 5, the Expo is positioning itself as more than a marketplace for products. Organisers say it is designed to create partnerships that can bring machinery, technical expertise, investment and new production technologies into Kenya while opening opportunities for Kenyan companies to enter wider regional markets.
Afripeak Expo Kenya Managing Director Gao Wei said the focus should be on building long term industrial partnerships rather than short-term commercial transactions.
“Selling one container of goods is a transaction. Building a partnership, transferring a technology, assembling or producing here, training local technicians and creating jobs that is cooperation we are looking at.We want to infuse this technology into the local market to boost productivity and also create jobs,” Gao said.
His remarks underline growing calls for Kenya to derive greater industrial value from its trade with China by encouraging Chinese companies to establish assembly plants, production facilities and technology partnerships locally.
A key attraction at this year’s Expo is the participation of an organised business delegation from Guangdong Province, one of China’s major manufacturing and trading centres.
The delegation is expected to engage Kenyan businesses on opportunities in manufacturing, sourcing, distribution, technology transfer and investment. Its participation could strengthen direct links between Kenyan enterprises and Chinese manufacturers while exposing local firms to production systems and technologies that can support industrial upgrading.
The Expo is showcasing industrial technologies including laser cutting, laser engraving and processing equipment, with applications in metal fabrication, furniture, construction, packaging and advertising.
Such technologies could help Kenyan manufacturers improve productivity, reduce production costs, increase precision and enhance the quality of locally produced goods. For small and medium-sized enterprises, access to efficient industrial equipment could also provide an opportunity to expand production and become more competitive.
Gao said Kenya’s strategic location, expanding consumer market, private sector and access to the wider East African market provide strong incentives for international companies seeking a regional base.
The exhibition is being organised by Afripeak Expo Kenya Ltd in partnership with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) and InvestKenya. Business forums, a Kenya Pavilion and business-to-business meetings form part of the programme, with participants expected to explore commercial partnerships and investment opportunities.
KNCCI National Director Joseph Mutavi Kithu said the Expo provides Kenyan businesses with an opportunity to move from simply displaying products to building commercial relationships that can generate investment, expand markets and strengthen domestic production.
He said the event’s theme, “Investing in Tomorrow, Trading for Prosperity,” reflects the need to direct investment towards productive sectors while strengthening the competitiveness of Kenyan enterprises.
Kithu stressed that industrialisation should not be associated only with large factories, noting that micro, small and medium enterprises, suppliers, distributors, technology companies and service providers are equally important to Kenya’s economic transformation.
KNCCI President Dr Erick Rutto described the Expo as a platform for business growth, innovation and industrial transformation rather than simply a product showcase. He encouraged Kenyan manufacturers and MSMEs to use the event to identify partners, access new technologies, build market linkages and pursue investment opportunities.
Among the Kenyan businesses participating are Jonerics Cargo Forwarders, SPIRO Kenya, Building Materials Association of Kenya, Robert Bosch East Africa, Hegazy Pack, Mizztech Equipment Supplies, Canon Aluminium Fabricators, Javans Coffee and Kenya Orient Insurance.
For Kenya, China remains an important source of industrial machinery, equipment, technology and investment. For Chinese companies, Kenya offers access to a large domestic market and the broader East African market, making it an attractive platform for regional business expansion.
The challenge, however, is to ensure that increased commercial engagement translates into local production, skills development, employment and meaningful technology transfer.
Kenya has for years sought to increase the value it derives from international trade by strengthening manufacturing and reducing dependence on imported finished products. Deeper industrial cooperation with Chinese companies could support that objective if investment is accompanied by local skills development, supplier linkages and opportunities for Kenyan firms to participate in value chains.
For participants at the Nairobi exhibition, the answer increasingly lies in partnerships that leave behind technology, skills, investment and productive capacity — not simply imported products.
If the business connections generated at the Expo result in concrete investment projects, local assembly operations, manufacturing ventures and technology partnerships, the event could help deepen Kenya-China economic relations while supporting Kenya’s ambition to become a regional manufacturing and distribution hub.
Ultimately, the success of the 2026 Expo will be measured not only by deals signed or products displayed, but by whether the partnerships created translate into factories, jobs, skills, innovation and stronger Kenyan participation in regional value chains.
