On 14th November, Rwanda took the opportunity of its special country day at the 25th EAC MSMEs Trade Fair to urge a more ambitious regional approach where culture-based entrepreneurship is taken to greater levels, and that market access becomes much faster to small business ventures within the East African Community.
One of the highlight events of the two-week expo is the “Day of Rwanda,” which brought government officials, business innovators, and EAC representatives together in a celebration that combined elements of cultural demonstrations with the hard-selling points of policy.
In the background of the music, fashion, and dancing, Rwanda gave a resounding call to integrate deeper into the region, and have MSMEs placed to be world competitiveness drivers in the economic development of East Africa.
The High Commissioner of Rwanda to Kenya, Ernest Rwamucyo, praised Kenya as the host of the fair and also highly complimented Partner States as they continue with the regional cooperation.
He also emphasized the investments made by Rwanda in preparing small businesses with export competencies, business connections, and access to regional and global markets.
Rwamucyo said that our MSMEs cannot flourish in isolation, and that we need to see closer cross-border cooperation and harmonised trade policies throughout the bloc.
The event was also used by the Permanent Secretary of MSMEs Development in Kenya, Susan Mang’eni, to promote a more ambitious regional agenda in which culture has become the foundation of economic change.
She observed that the symposiums that used to happen every single day at the fair had highlighted the immense untapped potential of the creative and cultural departments of East Africa.
“Our culture is a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, and the daily country symposiums have shown the sheer diversity and talent our region has,” she said.
Mang’eni also suggested that the results of this fair be discussed at the next EAC Heads of State Summit in Nairobi, which is an indication that Kenya would take the issues of MSMEs, and cultural enterprise specifically, to the summit of politics in the Community.
EAC Deputy Secretary General of Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs, Annette Mutaawe Ssemuwemba, congratulated Rwanda on its inclusive model of industrialisation and cited the high number of women-led, youth-driven and community-based businesses that were present at this year’s exhibition.
The festival was capped off by a series of electric cultural performances which attracted hundreds of audience with a display of the artistic dynamism of Rwanda and increasing interest in culture as an economic pillar of diplomacy.
