Kenyan Youth Called to Seize Tech Opportunities as KICC Hosts China Trade Week
- Presidential Advisor Harriet Chiggai urged Kenyan youth to embrace digital opportunities and partner with Chinese tech firms to drive innovation and economic transformation
- China Trade Week 2025 attracted over 100 exhibitors, including 88 from China, showcasing innovations in solar energy, building materials, and agricultural technologies
- Organisers highlighted a decade of successful collaborations between Kenyan startups and Chinese manufacturers, especially in the fast-growing technology sector
Elijah Ntongai, an editor at TUKO.co.ke, has over four years of financial, business, and technology research and reporting experience, providing insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
The 10th edition of China Trade Week (CTW) opened at Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Convention Centre on Tuesday, July 8.
Source: Twitter
The three-day event opened with a rallying call from the stakeholders, urging Kenyan youth to embrace technology and seize emerging opportunities through partnerships with Chinese tech giants.
Youth to embrace tech opportunities
Presidential Advisor Harriet Chiggai set the tone for the event with a strong message targeting Kenya’s tech-savvy generation.
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“The digital economy doesn't wait for anyone. Chinese companies are here ready to share knowledge, tools, and opportunities, but you must step forward,” she told attendees.
The CTW 2025 has brought together over 100 exhibitors, including 88 from China, reflecting a decade of the strong Sino-Kenyan trade ties.
The three-day exhibition showcases innovations in building materials, solar energy solutions, and agricultural processing technologies, sectors critical to Kenya’s economic development.
Since its inception, China Trade Week has welcomed over 75,000 visitors and hosted more than 2,000 exhibitors.
Successful collaborations
Organisers of the event's 10th anniversary noted that beyond showcasing products, the event has catalysed several successful collaborations between Kenyan startups and Chinese manufacturers, especially in the technology space, over the years
James Mureu, chairman of the state-run Micro and Small Enterprises Authority, said CTW has become a vital platform for connecting Chinese innovation with East African entrepreneurship. \
“The trade show is an avenue to provide access to affordable and appropriate technologies to help in Kenya’s industrialisation agenda,” he said.
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David Wan, chairman of MIE Group, the event’s organiser, reflected on a decade of achievements with pride over the partnerships that have grown since 2015.
“China Trade Week was created to build bridges and opportunities between Chinese and African businesses. We are proud of the partnerships formed and industries supported since 2015,” he said.
This year, the focus was on engaging Kenya’s youth, who are being positioned as key players in the next phase of digital transformation.
“The most valuable currency in today’s digital economy is knowledge. And China Trade Week is where Kenya’s youth can begin to trade in it,” Chiggai emphasised.
Source: Twitter
Kenya signs deals with Chinese companies
In other news, Kenya signed investment deals worth KSh 107 billion with seven Chinese firms during President William Ruto’s state visit to Beijing in April.
The agreements, witnessed at the Kenya-China Investor Roundtable, included plans to set up a smart traffic component plant in Mombasa, which is expected to create 5,000 jobs.
Companies involved include China Wu Yi, Rongtai Steel, Zonken Group, and Anhui Jiubao Electronic Technology.
The deals underscored deepening trade ties between Kenya and China, with a strong focus on industrialisation and youth employment.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
