Kenya has been positioned as East Africa’s official entry point for the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG) Chapter Network, following its launch by the Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSME Development, Dr. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, on 29th September 2025.
Themed “The Role of Strategic Collaborations in Unleashing Kenya’s Business Potential: Accelerating Regional and Continental Trade Expansion,” the event brought together investors, government leaders, and private sector stakeholders committed to advancing Africa’s trade integration.
Dr. Oparanya described Kenya as the natural hub for unlocking trade opportunities in East and Central Africa. “Today, we are not merely activating a platform; we are launching a new era of trade facilitation, market access, and inclusive growth for our people,” he said. He emphasized that while the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides the vision of a unified Africa, ATG delivers the operational tools to make it a reality through a one-stop digital platform where businesses can connect, comply, finance, and trade seamlessly across borders.
Kenya’s role as the gateway reflects its dynamic economy, innovative entrepreneurs, and strategic infrastructure from the ports of Mombasa and Lamu to regional trade corridors linking Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The initiative also aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which places cooperatives and MSMEs at the center of national prosperity.
Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development, Dr. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya giving his remarks.
Dr. Oparanya further noted that Kenya’s role as the East African entry point for ATG is deliberate and reflects the country’s dynamic economy, innovative entrepreneurs, and government commitment to regional integration and AfCFTA’s full implementation. He highlighted Kenya’s strategic infrastructure, from the ports of Mombasa and Lamu to the trade corridors extending into Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which position the country as a natural hub for regional and continental trade growth.
The Cabinet Secretary underscored that ATG strongly aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which places cooperatives and MSMEs at the heart of national prosperity. The Africa Trade Gateway brings together five integrated platforms designed to address key challenges faced by MSMEs. These include MANSA, which builds trust through due diligence and compliance solutions; PAPSS, which makes cross-border payments seamless; TRADAR Club, which provides access to trade intelligence and investor connections; ATEX, which enables aggregation and bulk sales; and Trade Connect, which addresses logistics bottlenecks.
Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSME Development, Dr. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya giving his remarks.
Despite MSMEs constituting 98 percent of all businesses in Kenya, contributing over 40 percent of GDP, employing 85 percent of the workforce, and providing livelihoods to more than 17 million Kenyans, they continue to face structural and market barriers. Cooperatives, which mobilize over KES 1.5 trillion (USD 12 billion) in savings and act as critical aggregation agents for MSMEs, also encounter similar challenges. Dr. Oparanya observed that interventions such as ATG are critical to bridging these gaps by opening new opportunities in market access, digital transformation, financial inclusion, and capacity development.
Through ATG, Kenyan farmers, artisans, and small manufacturers will be able to directly access continental buyers and suppliers, thereby reaching wider and more lucrative markets. By leveraging digital platforms such as ATEX, MANSA, and Afreximbank’s escrow services, MSMEs will be empowered to trade transparently and cost-effectively, reducing delays and bureaucratic hurdles. With Afrexim bank-backed financing and risk-mitigation tools, even the smallest enterprises will gain access to affordable trade finance, enabling them to expand beyond local markets. Additionally, traders and cooperatives will benefit from training, compliance support, and knowledge-sharing initiatives that will enhance their competitiveness in both regional and global value chains.
Dr. Oparanya called on stakeholders to work together to ensure the Africa Trade Gateway reaches its full potential. He urged Afrexim bank and other financial institutions to diversify and scale up cooperative and MSME products to include financing for green innovations and digital enterprises. He called on logistics partners to develop efficient, reliable, and affordable systems that unlock regional and continental value chains. He further encouraged the private sector and cooperatives to embrace ATG, register their businesses, and integrate its tools into their trade practices, stressing that the future of trade is digital and that ATG represents Africa’s own solution. He appealed to all continental trade stakeholders to collaborate and innovate to ensure no African business, regardless of size, is left behind. Lastly, he urged the global community to embrace green transitions and digital transformation, which he described as the foundation of sustainability and the future of trade.
“Africa has long been described as the continent of potential. With ATG, we now have the means to turn potential into performance, and promise into prosperity,” Dr. Oparanya said. “Let this day mark a new chapter in our journey; one of inclusive growth, innovation, and shared prosperity for all Africans. May the Africa Trade Gateway open doors to a truly borderless and prosperous Africa.”
Also speaking at the event, Afreximbank’s Regional Director for East Africa, Mr. Kudakwashe Matereke, described ATG as a multisided platform business model that matches supply with demand by connecting financiers with financing opportunities, investors with investment prospects, logistics providers with logistics opportunities, and EPC contractors with tenders and contracts. He emphasized that the platform creates value networks, stimulates network effects, and promotes business and customer success across the continent.
Afreximbank’s Regional Director for East Africa, Mr. Kudakwashe Matereke giving his remarks.
The launch was also attended by the Deputy Head of Public Service, Mr. Amos Gatheca, Nyandarua County Governor Hon. Moses Ndirangu Kiarie, MSEA Board Chair Mr. James Mureu, MSEA Board Director Mr. Felix Chege and MSEA Director Business Development Marketing and Trade Dr. Caroline Kaua. They all encouraged MSMEs and cooperatives to embrace the Africa Trade Gateway as a platform to break barriers to global trade and secure their place in regional and international markets.
Mr. Amos Gatheca, Nyandarua County Governor Hon. Moses Ndirangu Kiarie, MSEA Board Chair Mr. James Mureu, and MSEA Board Director Mr. Felix Chege giving their remarks during the launch.
For Kenya’s entrepreneurs, the Africa Trade Gateway presents a transformative opportunity. It is not only a digital platform but also a continental marketplace for horticultural produce, textiles, handicrafts, ICT innovations, and agribusiness products. It positions MSMEs to integrate into regional and global value chains, ensuring that they play a central role in Africa’s journey toward inclusive growth and shared prosperity.
Pictorial highlights from the launch.
