September 10, 2026: Over five hundred top EAC officials, global business leaders and a European Union (EU) delegation of 50+ investors are set to converge in Nairobi for the inaugural East Africa CEO & Investment Forum, a platform designed to shape East Africa's trade competitiveness agenda and catalyse strategic partnerships and investment deals.

Slated to take place on 17th–18th September 2026, the Forum will be co-hosted by the East African Development Bank (EADB) and the East African Business Council (EABC).

"East Africa is Africa's fastest-growing economic bloc, expanding at 5.6% annually, and remains one of the continent's most attractive investment destinations. The inaugural East Africa CEO & Investment Forum will position the private sector at the centre of this growth trajectory and create a dialogue platform for regional and international CEOs, private investors, development finance institutions, Investment Promotion Agencies, policymakers, and development partners" said Ahmed Farah, EABC Executive Director.

On his part, East African Development Bank (EADB) Ag. Director General, Mr. Benard Mono, noted that the Bank is keen on leveraging the Forum to close investment financing gaps in a bid to spur economic growth across the region.

"As East Africa's own development finance institution, EADB is proud to co-convene this Forum alongside EABC. Our role is to close the financing gap for bankable projects and investment ready opportunities while promoting sustainable socio-economic development and regional integration. This Forum turns EADB’s mandate into action. We look forward to structuring new partnerships and mobilising capital into the sectors that will define East Africa's next decade of growth," said Mr. Mono.

The inaugural EAC Trade and Investment Climate Report 2026 will be launched at the Forum and high-level discussions held on the key climate reforms investments needed to unlock the region's full trade potential.

The Forum arrives as East Africa's investment case builds momentum backed by a young, rapidly urbanising EAC Common Market of over 300 million consumers with rising purchasing power, expanded market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opening the door to 1.3 billion consumers continent-wide and reduced trade barriers, harmonised standards and freer movement of goods, services, capital and labour under the EAC Customs Union and Common Market Protocols.

As a lead up to the Forum, EABC and EADB held CEOs' Roundtables in Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda in July-August 2026. The Roundtables converged East Africa's private sector and public leaders on a clear and actionable agenda to unlock the region's trade potential. Business leaders and governments alike are pushing for the time-bound resolution of all outstanding Non-Tariff Barriers, backed by compensation mechanisms for businesses affected by unjustified disruptions, alongside harmonised standards, licensing and professional qualifications so goods and services can move seamlessly across the eight EAC Partner States.

1. The Forum will host senior government leaders, including:

• Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers
• H.E. Amb. Stephen P. Mbundi, Secretary General of the East African Community
• Hon. Beatrice Askul Moe, Cabinet Secretary for East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development, Republic of Kenya
• Hon. Manfred Pentz, State Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs and Bureaucracy Reduction of the State of Hesse, Germany, accompanied by a delegation of 50 German investors. Of these, 20 investors who previously participated in the German–East African Business and Investment Forum – Invest.EastAfrica! – held in Frankfurt and Berlin in January 2026, will return to explore further opportunities and advance and finalize pipeline deals. The delegation will engage with East African counterparts to explore investment opportunities and cooperation across priority sectors, including AI and the digital economy, agribusiness, tourism, logistics, healthcare, critical raw materials, and carbon credits.

2. Day one of the Forum centres discussion on the Trade and Investment Agenda for East Africa, charting evidence-based policy recommendations to enhance business competitiveness and investor attraction across key priority sectors.

3. Day two of the Forum focuses on Investment Conversion, Deals, and Commitments, featuring structured Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Government (B2G) matchmaking sessions on investment-ready opportunities across East Africa. The Forum targets the signing of partnerships and deals, closing with a Partnership Announcements and Signing Ceremony for MOUs and commercial and investment cooperation agreements.

The Forum is co-convened by the East African Development Bank (EADB) and the East African Business Council (EABC), in partnership with the East African Community (EAC), the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the European Union, the International Trade Centre (ITC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

For media queries contact;

Samantha Abaho | sabaho@eadb.org | +256 776 448941