EquityBCDC Launch.
During the April presidential visit, which also included the official launch of EquityBCDC, Equity Group Managing Director and CEO Dr. James Mwangi committed to working with officials from the two governments to facilitate the first trade mission. This came to be on the 29th of November 2021 when the Kenyan delegation arrived in Kinshasa for the mission that saw them explore business opportunities in the cities of Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Goma and Mbuji Mayi.
Speaking during the official opening ceremony, the Vice-Prime Minister of DRC and Minsiter for Environment H.E Eve Bazaiba expressed delight in seeing two sovereign States from the East and Central Africa region championing the growth and integration of Africa through trade and investment. “I am delighted to see that what began as a discussion between the DRC President H.E President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo and Kenyan President H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, to strengthen the relations between our two countries through trade and investments, formally kick off through this trade mission. This Mission has sparked interest amongst the business community and the turnout here in Kinshasa is a clear indication that DRC is ready and open to growing its economy through working with both the private and public sectors. As a country, we hope to leverage on existing infrastructure including the trade corridors to create regional supply chains in form of human expertise, raw material and processed and packaged goods.”
Speaking at the same event, Kenya Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development Hon. Betty Maina said, “As Kenya Government, we are encouraging Kenyan SMEs to consider the DRC as a market for regional expansion. Kenya and the DRC already have existing trade relations and this Trade Mission will further enhance paring local Kenyan entrepreneurs to local DRC businesses. We urge our entrepreneurs to keep an open mind, to engage with us during the discussions and most of all to explore opportunities for growth in agriculture, education, health, sports, environment, SMEs, housing, energy and infrastructure development.”