Kenya officials discuss opportunities with Boston Consulting Group

During a meeting in London, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi engaged in discussions with leaders from Boston Consulting Group in relation to the UK’s Growth Gateway program, a scheme to promote two-way trade with emerging economies.

The meeting was setup to explore opportunities how Kenya could book progress on topics including economy, sustainable competitive advantage, and societal impact.

Mudavadi advocated that Kenya is open to receiving progressive advisory services regarding crucial legislative frameworks and other factors that can support regional businesses and investment ventures in not only maintaining the country’s stability but also enhancing its global competitiveness.

“We are embarking on building aggregation and industrial parks in all our 47 counties, to promote Special Economic Zones that will aid in boosting manufacturing, agro-processing and value addition with an aim of generating more jobs,” Mudavadi said.

He emphasized that the establishment of industrial parks is an essential prerequisite for the growth of industries and the market. This involves consolidating agricultural products and setting up processing facilities within these parks.

The UK’s Growth Gateway program, which Kenya aims to further benefit from, is aimed at increasing trade and investment between UK and African businesses. The program also seeks to boost equity by promoting environmental benefits, employments opportunities for women, among other things, according to the UK government.

The horticulture sector is a key area of focus for Kenya, with high potential commercial opportunities identified in the mangoes, avocado, vegetables and dried fruits segments.

The horticulture sector plays a crucial role in bolstering the incomes, employment opportunities and foreign exchange earnings for smallholder farmers in Kenya, contributing significantly to the country's economic growth. The UK, as a key trade partner for Kenya, has been importing Kenyan vegetables and flowers while also providing financial support and high-tech equipment. However, this trade relationship has been on a steady decline since 2012.

US-headquartered Boston Consulting Group has been advising governments and companies in Kenya for years, on topics such as business strategy, digitization, and sustainability. The global strategy consulting firm has an office in Nairobi, which also serves as a hub for the East Africa market.

One recent field of Boston Consulting Group’s work in Kenya is related to climate and sustainability, with a primary emphasis on advancing and enabling investments in sustainable growth while assessing the potential of Kenya’s carbon offset market and other related areas.