The Nairobi City County Government has entered into a new partnership with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to operate in the capital.
The partnership, announced on Friday, seeks to lower the cost of doing business, remove administrative bottlenecks and open new channels of capital and markets for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), artisans and manufacturers.
The initiative will be anchored on the “Jenga Biz, Jenga Nairobi; Partnering for a Thriving Nairobi Economy” programme, which will bring the county government and the private sector together to turn policy discussions into practical economic interventions.
A key component of the partnership is the launch of the Trade Fair Digital Portal, which allows businesses to register as exhibitors, select sponsorship packages and access logistics information online.
The platform is expected to make participation in the county’s trade activities more seamless and transparent while giving local businesses greater exposure to investors, buyers and credit providers.
Speaking on the initiative, Nairobi County CEC for Business and Hustler Opportunities Dr. Anastasia Nyalita said the county was changing its approach from regulation to actively enabling businesses to grow.
“The Nairobi City County Government is shifting from being just a regulator to an active enabler of economic enterprise.”
She said the county was working to reduce compliance burdens, streamline licensing and create a predictable environment where business owners can concentrate on expanding their enterprises instead of navigating bureaucracy.
The county and KNCCI are also finalising a binding Memorandum of Understanding that will establish a framework for measuring progress on ease-of-doing-business reforms, policy changes and market expansion for local enterprises.
KNCCI Programs Director Dr Maxwell Okoth said the partnership would move engagement between government and the private sector from discussions to direct action.
He said structured policy roundtables would help lower compliance costs and improve predictability for traders, while the upcoming business forum and trade fair would connect MSMEs, manufacturers and artisans to institutional investors, regional buyers and credit providers.
The September 17 Business Breakfast Forum will serve as a precursor to the main trade fair, with the organisers seeking to strengthen supply-chain linkages and improve access to capital for businesses across the region.
The initiative places Nairobi’s small businesses at the centre of the county’s economic agenda, with the partnership expected to create a more supportive and predictable environment for enterprises to grow.
