Kenya is set to host several international meetings in the upcoming weeks and months. On Tuesday, the Cabinet, chaired by President William Ruto, approved the hosting of two major conferences. The BlueInvest Africa Forum will take place in July 2024, followed by the World Congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) in August 2024.
“The hosting of these two conferences further advances the realisation of our nation’s foreign policy objectives with climate change adaptation and the health of oceans and seas (blue economy) as key cornerstones of our diplomacy” read a despatch from Cabinet.
Additionally, Kenya will celebrate World Kiswahili Day with East African Community (EAC) Member States from July 5-7, 2024, highlighting the cultural significance of the language. James Mwaura, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), welcomed the government’s initiative to position Kenya as a premier Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) destination. Mr. Mwaura noted that hosting these major events will enhance Kenya’s ranking as a preferred MICE destination.
“The MICE sector is a key contributor to Kenya’s economic growth as laid out in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). The sector plans to increase international MICE visitors from 110,000 in 2015 to one million by 2030, raising MICE earnings from Ksh. 17 billion (approximately USD 157 million) in 2015 to Ksh. 40 billion (approximately USD 370 million) by 2030,” noted Mwaura on Wednesday.
This comes against the backdrop of Kenya’s successful hosting of significant events such as the continent’s inaugural Africa Climate Summit, the Africa Heads of State Summit in support of the Twenty-First (21st) Replenishment of the Resources of the International Development Association (IDA21), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group Annual Meeting.
According to the International Congress and Conventions Association (ICCA), Kenya ranked third in Africa in 2023, a significant leap from ninth place in 2022. South Africa led with 98 conferences, Rwanda was second with 32, and Kenya hosted 21.
