Trade Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Cabinet Secretary for Trade, Industry, and Cooperative’s Adan Mohamed has won the African Leadership Excellence Award for his role in advancing Kenya as a Trade and investment hub.
Mr. Mohamed was awarded by the UK-Africa Trade and Investment Forum 2017, an international trade and investment platform that seeks to strengthen trade and investment arrangements between Africa and global economies.
Mr. Mohamed was adjudged the winner for his “solid work as one of Africa’s most innovative revenue generations developmental thought leaders whose able leadership and wealth of experience have strategically positioned Kenya as a trade hub and investment destination of choice for investors from across the globe.”
Speaking upon the pronouncement, Joseph Akuboh, the Forum’s East African Head said “As exemplified by UK’s recent partnership renewal with Africa, trade and investment-focused countries will play a significant role to Britain’s Post-Brexit future. Undoubtedly, Kenya growing industrial influence and position in Africa and the world as an investment destination is partly resultant of CS Mohamed’s executed mandate.”
Past outstanding recipients of the African Leadership Excellence Award include former Presidents of Namibia, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Ghana (Their Excellency’s Hifikepunye Pohamba, Jakaya Kikwete, Ellen Johnson and John Kofuor among others).
Mohamed has in the last 4 years instituted some fundamental milestones in the industry, trade and investment portfolio including unveiling Kenya’s first long-term Industrialization blueprint, reforming Kenya’s legal and regulatory environment and consequent improvement in the Ease of Doing Business rankings and scaling up informal businesses impact in the economy.
In the same period, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) levels in Kenya have risen from $390m in 2013 to nearly $2bn in 2016 making Kenya one of the most preferred investment destinations on the continent.
The UK-Africa Trade and Investment Forum 2017 brought together UK-Africa business leaders, investment bankers, Fund Managers, Senior Government Officials, key private sector players as well as diplomats to discuss trade and investment priorities for UK and Africa.