NAIROBI, Kenya (ChatnewsTV) — The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and the UK government-backed MOBILIST programme on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership to drive new investment products in Kenya, aiming to boost private sector capital for climate projects and economic growth. The announcement came as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, John Humphrey, kicked off a three-day trade visit to Kenya.
Humphrey, who rang the opening bell at the NSE alongside key financial leaders, emphasized the importance of investment solutions for Kenya’s economic development. “Mobilising investment solutions in Kenya is vital to economic growth, as they provide a platform for Kenyan businesses to raise the capital they need to expand their operations, increase cross-border trade, and employ more Kenyans,” he said. “At the same time, they tackle climate change and achieve critical development goals.”
The MOBILIST programme, part of the UK’s investment initiative, provides financial and technical support to businesses aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The partnership with the NSE mirrors similar collaborations with stock exchanges in Nigeria and South Africa, designed to unlock institutional capital for sustainable development across Africa.
Frank Mwiti, CEO of the NSE, welcomed the partnership, stating, “The NSE is delighted to partner with MOBILIST. This strategic collaboration will allow us to mobilize capital to sectors with the most pressing needs, with a special focus on sustainable development.”
During his visit, Humphrey will meet with Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, Salim Mvurya, to push forward climate projects under President William Ruto’s Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII). He will also visit Naivasha to engage with Flamingo Flowers, a major British employer in Kenya’s cut flower industry, benefiting from the UK’s recent removal of an 8% export tariff on Kenyan flowers.
Ross Ferguson, MOBILIST Programme Lead at the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), added: “Public markets in Kenya and other African economies hold great untapped potential to mobilize the private capital needed to address the SDGs and combat climate change. We are proud to partner with the NSE to build a local capital market that can support African firms in achieving these goals.”
The UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, a five-year initiative, continues to foster deep economic ties between the two nations, supporting long-term investment without burdening Kenya with unsustainable debt.
