More than 180 businesses and top government officials from the United Kingdom and Kenya gathered in Nairobi on Thursday for the inaugural UK–Kenya Business Forum, aimed at unlocking fresh investment opportunities and strengthening bilateral trade relations.
The forum, organised by the British High Commission in Nairobi in collaboration with the British Chamber of Commerce Kenya (BCCK), focused on driving new investments, promoting green growth and pushing forward reforms to improve Kenya’s business climate.
Deliberations at the event spotlighted high-potential sectors such as digital trade, services, green manufacturing and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with special emphasis on women- and youth-led businesses.
Participants also engaged in business exhibitions, business-to-business matchmaking sessions and expert-led panel discussions designed to foster partnerships and knowledge exchange.
The meeting comes at a time when trade between Kenya and the UK has surpassed £2 billion (about Ksh350 billion) for the first time. Under the renewed Kenya–UK Strategic Partnership signed in July 2025, both countries agreed to double bilateral trade by 2030.
Speaking at the forum, Acting British High Commissioner to Kenya, Dr Ed Barnett, said the strengthened partnership must be backed by concrete reforms to unlock its full benefits.
“Kenya and the UK are moving forward in a modern partnership built on innovation,” Barnett said. “However, to accelerate progress, we must address high operating costs, regulatory uncertainty and corruption, which continue to hinder investment and job creation.”
BCCK Chair, Ms Sonal Tejpar, noted that the strong trade and people-to-people ties between the two nations provide a solid platform for future economic expansion. She added that British firms operating in Kenya currently employ more than 250,000 people, underlining the UK’s role as a key investor.
The forum also witnessed the unveiling of three new Kenya–UK partnerships targeting skills development, innovation and climate-friendly growth.
Scotland’s Forth Valley College signed a memorandum of understanding with Kenya’s National Industrial Training Authority to collaborate on vocational training and skills development. In the agricultural sector, UK-based water treatment firm Scotmas partnered with Elgon Kenya to roll out safer crop-protection solutions across East Africa.
Additionally, the UK launched the Climate Finance Accelerator Kenya initiative, aimed at supporting investment-ready low-carbon and climate-resilient projects.
Observers say the forum signals renewed momentum in UK–Kenya economic relations, with both sides positioning trade and sustainable investment as central pillars of their long-term partnership.
