KKCF Hosts over 150 Local Businesses at The Kakuma Trade Fair and Exhibition

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kakuma, Kenya — The Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF), a program of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), implemented with the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, convened the Kakuma Trade Fair and Exhibition at Kakuma Mixed Primary School in Turkana County, in collaboration with partners.

The event, themed “Showcasing local innovation, strengthening markets, Building Partnerships,” brought together entrepreneurs, businesses, market actors, partners, and community members. It provided a platform for participants to connect with over 150 local entrepreneurs, learn more about innovative products, and meet the businesses creating opportunities across the region.

The exhibitors included KKCF investee SMEs, refugee and host-community enterprises, youth- and women-led businesses, and innovators in clean energy, food, retail services, and light manufacturing.

The event aimed to: –

• Provide a platform for investees to exhibit and sell their products directly to consumers
• Showcase innovative, refugee- and host-led enterprise solutions.
• Enhance SME knowledge on branding, marketing, pricing and customer engagement
• Facilitate networking between SMEs, development partners, private sector and the county government.
• Capture lessons from previous market-day initiatives to strengthen future programming.

In his speech, Dr. John Erus, Deputy Governor of Turkana County, who was the Chief Guest during the event, said, “It is not only about the size of the resources available but also about the opportunities we can create to change people’s lives. The most important investment is in refugee and host businesses.”

KKCF’s program manager, Brian Meme, noted that the program has contributed to sustainable business expansion among SMEs. “For the past 6 years, KKCF has, through its partnering financial institution, supported more than 8,000 micro-finance MSME loans. These investments have enabled businesses to expand, innovate, and meet the needs of an increasingly vibrant market, an indication that the community will continue to benefit long after KKCF leaves.”

Kakuma is one of the most vibrant and diverse markets in northern Kenya, driven by a mix of refugee and host-community enterprises, humanitarian cash flows, and growing private-sector interest. Over the years, Kakuma has evolved into a commercial hub for retail trade, food processing and agri-trade, clean energy products, tailoring, light manufacturing, digital enterprises, and livestock trade.

The event was conceived, hosted, and led by KKCF, with organisational input from the World Food Programme (WFP), DanChurchAid, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), BOMA, GIZ, and Village Enterprise.  Participants included the Turkana County Government, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), business associations, financial service providers, business advisory service providers, media and local influencers, the Department of Trade, Youth and Social Affairs, and the Department of Refugee Services.

The event brought together local businesses, upstream business prospects and established enterprises from more than six counties, providing a platform to forge new business relationships, strengthen existing partnerships, exchange market insights, and explore commercial opportunities. Participants showcased and sold their products and services, with direct sales recorded during the event.

 

About AECF
The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) provides catalytic funding and technical assistance to support innovative, inclusive business models in frontier markets across Africa, with a focus on agriculture and renewable energy. AECF aims to reduce poverty and drive economic transformation through market-based solutions.

About the Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund

The Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF) is the International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s first refugee- and host-community-focused program in sub-Saharan Africa. It enables private investment to unlock the economic potential of refugees and their hosts in the Kakuma Kalobeyei refugee-hosting area in Kenya’s Turkana County.

Media Contacts
AECF Communications Office
press@aecfafrica.org