As Kenya ushers in a new financial year, business leaders and policymakers are turning their focus to high-impact, investor-driven projects with public-private partnerships (PPPs) taking center stage.

The 2025 Business Ecosystems Summit (BES), slated for August 6–8 in Kisumu, is positioning itself as a catalyst for unlocking transformative investments across Kenya and the broader East African region.

Organizers are calling on the private sector to partner with government through PPPs to fund development initiatives amid tightening fiscal conditions and the volatility of external financing.

Victor Nyagaya, CEO of the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB), underscored the region’s commitment to leveraging PPPs as a strategic vehicle for economic resilience.

“Let us form partnerships that deliver clean energy to homes, fund climate-smart irrigation, build innovation hubs, create circular waste solutions, grow the blue economy, and transform lives,” he said at a pre-summit press briefing.

Nyagaya added that harmonized policies, faster project approvals, and robust accountability systems are essential in creating an investment-friendly environment in western Kenya.

Kisumu Deputy Governor Mathew Ochieng Owili reaffirmed the county’s investment readiness, noting its strategic location on Lake Victoria as a launchpad for regional trade and innovation.

“Kisumu is open for business. We are primed to lead growth in logistics, tourism, agribusiness, and the blue economy,” he said.

Now in its second edition, BES is organized by The IMC People and will bring together investors, MSMEs, government officials, innovators, and development partners for three days of deal-making, policy dialogue, and exhibitions.

BES 2023 facilitated more than $400 million (Sh51.6 billion) in capital flows and saw major agreements signed, including a $3 billion (Sh387 billion) MoU between the Government of Kenya and Afreximbank.

Jeanette Oromo, CEO of The IMC People, said BES 2025 will build on that momentum:

“We are not reinventing the wheel we are greasing it. BES is about designing Africa’s business future through smart partnerships and sustainable policy.”