By Pascal Ndegwa - Reporter
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Kenya, November 04, 2026 - Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Chairperson Hitesh Mediratta has told the Kenya Industrialization Summit that a strong manufacturing sector is the most powerful engine for jobs, tax revenue and national growth, and that “nothing should frustrate industrialisation.”
Speaking as President William Ruto joined manufacturers, investors and stakeholders at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Mediratta thanked the President for engaging with exhibitors and showcasing Kenya’s industrial potential. He emphasised that manufacturers remain the country’s biggest taxpayers and still have capacity to contribute significantly more once the operating environment improves.
“The message is clear, when manufacturing grows, Kenya grows,” Mediratta said. He described industrialisation as the most effective pathway to creating employment, especially for the youth, and called for a shared national vision that puts a robust industrial base at the centre of economic strategy.
Mediratta singled out policy predictability as a long-standing concern. Strong governance and advance notice before major policy or tax changes, he said, give investors the confidence to commit capital. He applauded the government’s focus on value addition but urged a tax regime designed for long-term growth rather than short-term collections that make business harder.
He specifically called for, an end to continuous introduction of new charges and the multiplicity of taxes, proper impact assessments, involving governors, before any new taxes are imposed and recognition that some East African Community partner states have strategically set lower rates, causing investments that could have come to Kenya to go elsewhere
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KAM research, he noted, shows Kenya has much to gain from rigorous impact analysis of its tax measures.
On regional and continental opportunities, Mediratta pointed to the under-utilised potential of intra-African trade. Clearer implementation guidelines under the various trading blocs, he said, would allow Kenya to leverage its unique position and expand into African markets. This expansion, he added, would drive youth employment and economic resilience. He cited the recent Dangote investment as an example of the kind of thinking required across different value chains so that Africa extracts more value from its minerals and natural resources.
He also pressed for stronger enforcement against illicit goods and welcomed improvements in roads, passenger connectivity and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, noting that manufacturers invest heavily and need a predictable environment that matches the shared industrialisation vision.
The Kenya Industrialization Summit and Changamka Shopping Festival, running 3–7 November at KICC, is the government’s premier platform for accelerating manufacturing’s contribution to GDP. Mediratta’s remarks frame the private sector’s core ask: remove the obstacles, protect the policy environment, and manufacturing will deliver the jobs and revenue Kenya needs.