The Mt Kenya Times 
Lucy Muchoki
Lucy Muchoki leads strategic talks with a Chinese delegation as Kenyan businesses gear up to seize new opportunities at the world’s premier import exposition.
By John Kariuki
The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry has hosted a high-level Chinese delegation to advance trade and investment cooperation between Kenya and China ahead of the 9th China International Import Expo, scheduled to open in Shanghai on 5 November 2026.
The meeting, held at the KNCCI Secretariat, was led by Lucy Muchoki, Director of Partnerships and Programmes, alongside KNCCI Chief Executive Officer KK Mutai, and focused on strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries by facilitating the participation of Kenyan businesses in the Expo.
The Chinese delegation was headed by Zhou Zhencheng, Minister Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, and included Hua Wei, President of the National Exhibition and Convention Centre, Jia Liu, Deputy Chief Representative of ICBC Africa, and Vera Otumbi, Trade Finance Specialist at Stanbic Bank Kenya.
The discussions covered business mobilisation, trade promotion, market access, and financial solutions aimed at giving Kenyan exporters, manufacturers, and investors a stronger footing at the globally influential trade fair. Particular attention was paid to how Kenyan enterprises can translate China’s recently introduced zero-tariff policy into concrete export gains.
“China has already granted Kenya and the rest of Africa tariff-free access and we are working very hard to ensure our businesses seize this opportunity,” Muchoki said. “Kenya is among the leading exporters of horticultural products to Europe, and with duty-free access to China, we are looking forward to exporting more to China’s 1.4-billion-strong consumer market,” she added.
Zhou, for his part, noted that bilateral trade between China and Kenya continues to thrive, driven by strong policy support and mutually beneficial cooperation. He described the CIIE as the world’s first national-level exposition dedicated exclusively to imports — a platform designed to open China’s vast market to global businesses and share development opportunities with the rest of the world.
KNCCI President Erick Rutto said Kenya would send a delegation of exhibitors to showcase high-value agricultural and natural products, including avocados, macadamia nuts, tea, coffee, sesame, and selected horticultural products. The chamber, he added, is determined to maximise the trade dividends that the zero-tariff arrangement makes possible.
Stanbic Bank Kenya’s participation underscored the financial dimension of the partnership, with trade finance solutions forming a key part of the conversation — an acknowledgement that access to market alone is not enough if Kenyan businesses lack the capital structures to compete at scale.
For Muchoki, the meeting is part of a broader, sustained effort to connect Kenyan enterprises with global markets through institutional partnerships that go beyond goodwill and translate into real commercial outcomes. Her track record at KNCCI — spanning bilateral engagements with France, China’s Changsha province, and multiple multilateral forums — reflects a methodical approach to building the kind of relationships that open doors for ordinary Kenyan businesses.
The collaboration marks a significant step in Kenya’s push to diversify its export base and deepen its economic relationship with China — a relationship that, with the right preparation and support, holds genuinely transformative potential for Kenyan entrepreneurs willing to look east.
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