Kenya targets manufacturing boom as industrialisation summit brings investors to Nairobi

Kenya’s push to expand local manufacturing will come under scrutiny this week as industry players, investors and young entrepreneurs meet for a five-day summit aimed at exploring ways to turn innovation and research into businesses and jobs.

The 2026 Kenya Industrialisation Summit, scheduled for November 3 to 7 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), is expected to bring together local and international manufacturers, investors and other industry stakeholders to discuss opportunities and challenges facing the sector.

The meeting comes amid calls for stronger collaboration between universities, research institutions and the private sector to ensure that ideas developed through research can be translated into commercially viable products and businesses.

Young people are also expected to take part in discussions and presentations focusing on entrepreneurship, business development and opportunities within the manufacturing sector.

Industry stakeholders have argued that involving young people and institutions of higher learning in industrialisation is important in developing home-grown solutions, creating employment and reducing reliance on imported products.

The summit will be held under the theme “Driving Industrial Growth Through Investment, Manufacturing, Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Financing”.

Organisers say the event will provide an opportunity for manufacturers to exhibit their products, share expertise and explore partnerships with potential investors and other businesses.

There will also be calls for Kenyans to support locally manufactured goods, with stakeholders arguing that buying Kenyan-made products helps sustain local industries, create jobs and keep money circulating within the economy.

The government has repeatedly highlighted manufacturing as a key sector in its efforts to expand employment and strengthen the economy.

The government says engagement with the private sector and policies that improve access to markets and investment remain important in expanding the country’s industrial capacity.

However, the discussions will also place attention on the need to ensure that investment, research and innovation translate into actual production, business opportunities and employment rather than remain proposals.

The summit is being promoted under the message “Kenya is Building Kenya”.