Kenya is taking bold strides to accelerate industrial growth, boost value addition, and expand market opportunities for locally manufactured goods as stakeholders prepare for the upcoming 9th Edition of the Changamka Shopping Festival.

Organized by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in partnership with the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI), the double-bill event will feature both the shopping festival and the Kenya Industrialization Summit in November at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi.

Event timelines & objectives

  • The joint initiative aims to connect manufacturers, consumers, investors, policymakers, and distributors to promote competitive local brands and map out strategies for industrial growth:
  • Changamka Shopping Festival: November 3 – 7, 2026 (KICC, Nairobi)
  • Kenya Industrialization Summit: November 4 – 5, 2026 (KICC, Nairobi)

The official announcement was made during a joint press briefing hosted by KAM and MITI on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

Speaking at the briefing, Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Industry, emphasized the critical need for Kenya to transition from exporting unprocessed raw materials to building local processing capacity.

Currently, manufacturing contributes roughly 8% to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounts for nearly 500,000 direct jobs. Government leaders aim to raise domestic production capacity significantly.

“The time has come now for us to really use these raw materials to build the industries of the future. We want to have a Kenya where we are manufacturing 50% of all the items that we need.” Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary, State Department for Industry

Increasing domestic processing capacity retains job opportunities within the country and benefits stakeholders across entire value chains—from farmers and suppliers to processors, transporters, and retail distributors.

KAM Board Chairperson Hitesh Mediratta highlighted that while a strong domestic market serves as a foundation, sustainable industrial expansion requires a aggressive focus on export-led growth.

Key international trade agreements provide immediate market opportunities for Kenyan exporters:

  • AfCFTA: African Continental Free Trade Area
  • EAC: East African Community
  • COMESA: Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
  • Kenya-EU EPA: Economic Partnership Agreement
  • AGOA: African Growth and Opportunity Act

Mediratta noted that leveraging these agreements effectively requires investments in production capacity, affordable business financing, robust infrastructure, and compliance with target market standards.

The event is co-hosted with support from key partners, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Network International, Mitchell Cotts, and Kenya Breweries Limited.

KAM is urging consumers, manufacturers, trade buyers, and investors to attend the 2026 festival to explore locally made products, forge strategic business partnerships, and directly support job creation by choosing local brands.