Bimal Rajnikant Kantaria, Managing Director of Elgon Kenya Limited, East Africa’s largest agro-inputs company, has touted Kenya’s success under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and announced plans to expand investments into West Africa.
He made these comments at the Presidential & Business Leaders’ Dialogue, held on Day Three of the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD). The dialogue, held under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade,” took place at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Friday, 6th February, 2026.
Kantaria emphasized that Kenya was among the first African countries to ratify AfCFTA in 2018 and subsequently developed a comprehensive trade strategy. “Before 2021, only 10 percent of Kenya’s trade was within Africa. Today, that figure has risen to nearly 35 percent,” he said, underlining the rapid growth in intra-African commerce.
Kantaria explained that Kenyan companies, including Elgon Kenya, are moving up the value chain by processing raw materials from across Africa into finished goods for export. “If Uganda grows it, Kenyans will process it,” he said.
Key exports include steel, certified car batteries, tea, palm oil, petroleum products, medicines, and cement. By focusing on industrialization and manufacturing, Kenyan firms are adding value to African resources while expanding regional trade.
He noted that collaboration across East African countries is increasing, with factories in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania working together and investors from neighboring countries acquiring stakes in local enterprises. “We are no longer one country; we are integrating across the Eastern African zone,” he said.
Kantaria also highlighted Kenya’s efforts to ease mobility within the continent. “We’ve opened our visa system: African visitors can enter Kenya for 60 days without a visa, and East Africans can stay for six months without a work permit,” he said, encouraging entrepreneurs and professionals to explore business opportunities in Kenya.
Announcing Elgon Kenya’s regional expansion plans, Kantaria said the company intends to invest in Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, and Liberia.
“We felt it was time to expand across Africa. The future is here. The future is Africa,” he said, calling for a unified continental approach to trade and investment.
Kantaria also acknowledged the inspiration drawn from African thought leaders like Professor Bailo Lumumba, describing the event as an opportunity to shift the narrative about Africa’s potential. “We need to tell the world that Africa has arrived. We have a young generation ready to perform, innovate, and invest,” he said.
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