Building on its evolution into a giga-scale global food trade engine, Gulfood — the world’s most influential food and beverage sourcing platform — today announced its expansion into Africa with the launch of Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya, set to debut in Nairobi from 4–6 May 2027. The announcement, made at Gulfood 2026 in Dubai, formalises Kenya’s selection as the official African host of the Gulfood platform, positioning the country as Africa’s principal gateway into the global food, agribusiness, logistics, and innovation economy.
Launched under the unified endorsement of Kenya’s Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, our leading government partner – the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) and the Office of the Special Envoy on Technology, Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya represents a landmark strategic partnership between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates, anchored in the Kenya–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The initiative is designed to accelerate trade flows, attract foreign direct investment, strengthen regional value chains, and integrate Africa more deeply into global food markets at unprecedented scale.
The launch also marks a major milestone in His Excellency President William Ruto’s ambition to transform Kenya into a first-world economy under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). Agriculture, manufacturing, trade, logistics, and technology form the core pillars of this transformation. Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya will serve as a catalytic platform to accelerate agricultural value addition, export competitiveness, agro-industrialisation, SME participation, and industrial growth, while positioning Kenya as Africa’s premier trade and agrifood gateway.
Kenya’s selection is underpinned by strategic investments in world-class infrastructure and logistics, including the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, upgrades to regional airports, modernisation of the Port of Mombasa, and the development of multimodal trade corridors linking Eastern and Central Africa. These investments are anchored in President Ruto’s Infrastructure Fund, which mobilises long-term capital for transport, logistics, industrial parks, cold-chain systems, and export-oriented manufacturing — all critical enablers of a globally competitive agrifood ecosystem.
Equally central to Kenya’s competitiveness is its leadership in green energy and climate-smart development. Through President Ruto’s flagship 10,000 MW clean energy programme, Kenya is rapidly expanding geothermal, wind, solar, and hydroelectric capacity, reinforcing its status as one of the world’s foremost renewable energy economies. Today, more than 90% of Kenya’s electricity is generated from clean sources, offering agribusiness, manufacturing, and logistics investors access to reliable, low-cost, and low-carbon energy, a decisive advantage in a world increasingly shaped by sustainability and ESG standards.
Kenya also stands at the heart of Africa’s agrifood opportunity. Sub-Saharan Africa holds over 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, and Kenya serves as a strategic gateway to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) — a single market of over 1.4 billion people. As a leading producer and exporter of tea, coffee, horticulture, livestock, and processed foods, Kenya provides a natural entry point for global firms seeking scale, diversification, and resilient supply chains across Africa’s rapidly growing food economy, projected to reach $567.31 billion by 2032.
Beyond agriculture, Kenya is globally recognised as Africa’s Silicon Savannah, home to frontier innovation in digital payments, logistics technology, climate-smart agriculture, artificial intelligence, and supply-chain digitisation. Its youthful, tech-savvy population offers unmatched dynamism, entrepreneurship, and digital fluency. Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya will showcase how AI-driven agritech, digital trade platforms, smart logistics, and climate intelligence are transforming food systems, strengthening traceability, reducing food loss, enhancing farmer incomes, and building intelligent, inclusive, and resilient supply chains from farm to factory to future.
The announcement comes on the heels of Kenya hosting AI Everything x GITEX Kenya from 19–21 May 2026, further consolidating the country’s role as Africa’s premier global convening hub for trade, technology, and innovation diplomacy. Together, these two landmark platforms underscore Kenya’s strategy of leveraging major international events to drive investment, partnerships, industrial upgrading, and geopolitical relevance.
Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI), said: “The launch of Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya signals a decisive step in Kenya’s trade and investment journey. Anchored by the Kenya–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and supported by structural reforms, this moment reflects a country mobilising its full value chain for global trade. Kenya is positioning itself as Africa’s gateway — connecting farms, factories, and supply corridors to the world.”
Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, EGH-, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development commented: “Agriculture sits at the heart of Kenya’s economy, contributing over a quarter of our GDP and supporting millions of livelihoods across the country. Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya reflects our commitment to converting this agricultural strength into global opportunity, connecting Kenyan and African producers with the rest of the world.”
Trixie LohMirmand, Global Organiser of Gulfood, said: “Kenya is built for global competitiveness, and Africa is at its inflection point. Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya positions the country as the conduit through which African produce and value flow into international markets. This expansion sends a clear signal that Africa’s food economy is entering a new phase of scale, execution, and competitiveness — and Kenya is leading that charge.”
With Gulfood360 Africa/Kenya, global buyers gain direct access to Africa’s fastest-scaling food supply base through a single, trusted trade gateway. From Nairobi, contracts will be executed, capital mobilised, and cross-border value chains activated, translating global demand into enduring opportunity across Africa.
