News

CWEIC Deputy Chairman Lord Swire has commenced his East Africa visit in Nairobi, marking an important step in strengthening

The three-day programme brought together Strategic Partners, government leaders, and private-sector executives across a series of high-level engagements, beginning with a focus on manufacturing and concluding with the Equity Group Trade and Investment Roadshow.

Manufacturing Africa: CEO Breakfast Hosted by BDO East Africa

Lord Swire opened his programme on Thursday with a keynote address at the Manufacturing Africa Session, hosted by Strategic Partner BDO East Africa and attended by over 120 CEOs. The session focused on accelerating Kenya’s industrial transformation, enhancing value-addition, and embedding manufacturing within regional supply chains.

Drawing on the Commonwealth Advantage – shared legal systems, predictable business environments, and a network spanning 56 countries – Lord Swire highlighted how Kenya can leverage these strengths to expand export markets and develop competitive manufacturing ecosystems.

CWEIC was also pleased that Sanjeewa Wickramanayake, CEO of Sri Lankan Strategic Partner EWIS, contributed expert insights during the panel discussions, reinforcing cross-Commonwealth cooperation in technology-enabled manufacturing.

Kenya International Advisory Council (KIAC) Meeting

CWEIC convened all Kenya-based and travelling Strategic Partners for the Kenya International Advisory Council (KIAC) meeting later that day.

The discussion centred on strengthening Commonwealth–Kenya commercial links, identifying new areas of collaboration, and updating members on the opportunities emerging from Kenya’s expanding regional role. KIAC continues to serve as a vital platform connecting government officials, investors, and business leaders across the Commonwealth.

Equity Group Trade & Investment Roadshow

On Friday, Lord Swire delivered a keynote address at the Equity Group Trade and Investment Roadshow, part of a multi-country programme bringing together regional policymakers, investors, and business leaders.
In his remarks, Lord Swire emphasised Kenya’s strategic position as the entry point to a connected market of more than 500 million consumers across Eastern and Central Africa. He outlined how the Commonwealth’s shared commercial architecture can directly support Kenya’s ambitions in digital trade, agribusiness, green industry, and SME expansion.
(See our full story on the roadshow here.)

Following the forum, the delegation was graciously hosted for dinner by Dr Bimal Kantaria, Executive Director of Elgon Kenya. On Saturday, the team visited the KATIC Centre of Excellence, Elgon Kenya’s flagship agricultural innovation facility, which showcases best-practice technologies for boosting food security and climate resilience.

Dinner Hosted by Dr James Mwangi

The visit concluded on Saturday evening with a dinner hosted by Dr James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Group and Chair of CWEIC’s East & Central Africa Hub. CWEIC is grateful to Dr Mwangi and Equity Group for convening an exceptional Roadshow and for their continued leadership in driving regional trade and investment.

Looking ahead

Lord Swire’s engagements in Nairobi set a strong foundation for deepening Commonwealth cooperation across East Africa, and we want to thank AQ Hamza, CWEIC Hub Director for East and Central Africa, for organising an excellent programme.

As Kenya continues to position itself as a regional engine of growth – particularly in manufacturing, agribusiness, technology, and green industry – CWEIC looks forward to building on this momentum through its Strategic Partners, advisory networks, and Commonwealth-wide convening programmes