Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) owners and key industry stakeholders today called for a significant ramp-up of investment and collaboration to propel the next wave of business growth in Kenya.
Speaking at the Business Ecosystems Summit (BES) 2025 in Kisumu, representatives of Kenya’s 7.4 million MSMEs, alongside corporates and sector associations, implored investors and development partners to deploy capital and scale up support commensurate with the sector’s vast ambition and economic contribution.
Jeanette Oromo, CEO of The IMC People and convener of the Summit, challenged the business community to translate the summit’s momentum into tangible actions and capital deployment.
“The momentum we are witnessing at the 2025 Business Ecosystems Summit must translate into tangible investments and partnerships. It is time to move beyond rhetoric and actively deploy capital into MSMEs,” said Ms. Oromo. “The biggest challenges these enterprises face are related to access to financing and capital, yet they remain the backbone of our economy. The potential for improving our country’s socio-economic status is limitless, but only if we have innovative financing models, patient capital, and inclusive value chains that support MSMEs.”
The Summit, organized by The IMC People in partnership with the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) and the Kisumu County Government, showcased the region’s readiness for enterprise development and attracting investment.
H.E. Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu County and Chair of the LREB, highlighted the region’s suitability for business by citing the return of major conferences.
“We hosted the inaugural Business Ecosystems Summit in 2023, then followed it up with major international business events and conferences including one by the Afreximbank in 2024. This demonstrates that Kisumu and the Lake region are open, competitive, and strategic for business,” said Prof. Nyong’o.
Her Excellency, Nasra Salim Mohamed Al Hashmi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Kenya, underscored the necessity of cross-sector collaboration. She noted that Oman views Kenya as a strategic gateway to East and Central Africa, emphasizing that the future of trade is built by “people, ideas and relationships,” not government alone.
The event, which closes on Friday, November 28th, features high-level sessions, investment matchmaking, and an expansive marketplace that attracted over 10,000 visitors on its first day and features more than 300 innovative MSME exhibitors.
“Our commitment moving forward is to create more of these platforms throughout the year to grow the impact of the Summit. We must build permanent bridges between MSMEs and the resources they need to scale,” added Ms. Oromo.
BES 2025 was held with the support of key organizations including Arise IIP Kenya, AAR Insurance, KenInvest, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Kisumu Chapter, Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), and Med Aditus.