The ninth Changamka Kenya Shopping Festival opened at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on November 3, 2026 with more than 400 local exhibitors.
The five-day expo, organised by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in partnership with the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI), runs until November 7 and is intended to showcase locally manufactured products, connect manufacturers with consumers and explore market expansion.
Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Hon. Lee Kinyanjui said industrialisation is essential for economic development and urged Kenyans to buy Kenyan-made products, stating, “Nations do not develop without industrialisation.”
Kinyanjui noted that commercial bank lending rates are between 10 and 12 per cent and that manufacturing projects often require five years or more to generate returns, calling for closer cooperation between government and lenders to develop suitable financing arrangements.
He also encouraged investors to use government-supported zones such as Export Processing Zones, Special Economic Zones and County Aggregation and Industrial Parks, while stressing the need to improve logistics and support value-addition and import substitution.
Principal Secretary for Industry Dr Juma Mukhwana (CBS) said the government must ensure the right policies are in place and act as a referee, adding that organisations like KAM serve as coaches to help translate opportunities into actual investment.
Mukhwana highlighted the low uptake of some government incentives and urged a review of the barriers preventing manufacturers from accessing them.
Principal Secretary for Trade Regina Ombam said Kenya’s ability to benefit from regional and international trade agreements depends on its capacity to produce goods for those markets, describing trade as the engine of growth.
Principal Secretary for Investment Promotion Abubakar Hassan Abubakar (CBS) warned that the trade deficit requires greater investment in productive sectors, especially manufacturing and value addition, and called for mechanisms that de-risk and incentivise such investment.
KAM Board Chairperson Hitesh Mediratta called for sustained investment in local manufacturing and stronger domestic value chains, noting that the sector drives employment, revenue and competitiveness.
Mediratta pointed to opportunities under AfCFTA, the Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, AGOA and COMESA, but said market access alone is insufficient, adding, “Market access alone is not enough.”
KAM Chief Executive Tobias Alando said the festival demonstrates the range of Kenyan products reaching households and export markets such as the United States and the European Union, and urged consumers to make locally made goods a regular part of their purchases.
The event also hosts the 4th Industrialisation Summit on November 4, 2026, themed “Driving Industrial Growth through Investment, Manufacturing, Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Financing,” featuring a Presidential Round Table with President William Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, CS Lee Kinyanjui and other leaders.
Sponsors and partners for the festival include the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Network International, Mitchell Cotts, Kenya Breweries Limited, East Africa Development Bank and SME Blue Pages.
