KENAS Champions Product Quality and Competitiveness at Kenya Annual Manufacturing Summit and Expo 2024
KENAS participated in the Kenya Annual Manufacturing Summit and Expo 2024 held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) from November 5th to 9th, 2024. This landmark event, a collaboration between the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry (MITI), encompassed the 7th Edition of the Changamka Shopping Festival and the 2nd Edition of the Kenya Industrialization Conference.
Event Theme and Focus
This year’s summit embraced the theme, “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Green Industrialization to Accelerate Africa's Structural Transformation.” This theme aligned closely with KENAS’s own mission to promote high-quality, accredited services and standards, which directly support the competitiveness of Kenya’s products both locally and globally.
The Changamka Festival, under the theme “Celebrating the Ingenuity of Kenya’s Manufacturing Sector,” focused on showcasing the best of Kenya’s locally manufactured goods. With over 200 exhibitors, including 100 manufacturing SMEs, this festival was a vibrant display of the “Buy Kenya, Build Kenya” strategy, raising awareness of locally manufactured goods and building a strong demand for them in the market.
By engaging in the summit, KENAS strengthened its brand visibility, reached potential clients across various sectors, and highlighted its mission to foster quality through accreditation. The KENAS exhibition stand received significant attention, generating several promising leads for accreditation services and partnerships across diverse industries.
Remarks from Key Officials
At the opening ceremony, Hon. Salim Mvurya, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry, expressed the government’s steadfast commitment to boosting local manufacturing. He emphasized the strategic importance of the “Buy Kenya, Build Kenya” initiative, which is designed to provide quality goods for both domestic and international markets while fostering economic growth. In line with this mission, the Cabinet Secretary highlighted policy reforms aimed at revitalizing Kenya’s manufacturing sector and strengthening the entire value chain to make local products globally competitive. Hon. Mvurya’s call to action, "Nunua Kenya, Njenga Kenya," reminded attendees of the need to invest in local products to create sustainable employment opportunities.
Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary, State Department for Trade, spoke on the merged events’ focus on promoting local goods and strengthening Kenya’s economy. He encouraged attendees to “changamka” (enthusiastically engage) with locally manufactured products, echoing the importance of policy changes to further support industry growth.
KENAS’s Impact on the Discussion of Product Competitiveness
In Session Four of the conference, Ms. Joyce Gichuru represented KENAS CEO Dr Walter Ongeti and discussed how accreditation helps enhance product competitiveness. She provided a comprehensive explanation of KENAS’s mandate to assess and accredit Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) to international standards, highlighting that 86% of KENAS’s 274 accredited clients are SMEs. Ms. Gichuru explained that accreditation is essential for ensuring market access and quality assurance, empowering Kenyan products to compete locally and internationally.
The panel moderator expressed appreciation for her insights and emphasized the importance of creating more awareness around accreditation and its critical role in product quality and competitiveness.
How Accreditation Supports Industrial Growth
KENAS’s participation in the Kenya Annual Manufacturing Summit and Expo 2024 reinforced the critical role of accreditation in supporting Kenya’s economic growth and product competitiveness. By ensuring that CABs meet international standards, KENAS enables Kenyan manufacturers to access global markets confidently, ensuring the reliability and quality of their products and services.
KENAS remains committed to supporting Kenya’s industrialization journey and the broader “Buy Kenya, Build Kenya” initiative by fostering accreditation across various sectors. Our involvement in events like the Manufacturing Summit and Changamka Festival reflects our dedication to building a sustainable, innovative, and competitive manufacturing ecosystem in Kenya and across Africa.
As Kenya continues to position itself as a leader in manufacturing and industrialization, KENAS is dedicated to providing the assurance of quality through accreditation. We look forward to further collaborations with industry stakeholders and policymakers to build a future where Kenyan products and services thrive on a global stage.
