Chamber members connecting at a business networking event

Who we are

The Kenya-Ireland Business Gateway: Your connection to opportunity in both markets

The Irish Chamber of Commerce Kenya promotes trade and investment between the two countries through connection, representation, insight and growth.

Our leadership Our history

Our purpose

Relationships that lead to opportunity

Ireland’s premier business chamber in Kenya

We connect businesses operating in Kenya and Ireland, represent shared business interests and help close the knowledge gap between both markets.

The Irish Chamber of Commerce Kenya works to promote trade, investment and commercial activity between the Republic of Kenya and Ireland.

We facilitate business networking opportunities for our members by providing a platform and support structure for sharing information on business experiences in Kenya and Ireland. This includes local context and knowledge, opportunities, challenges and the implications of doing business in both countries.

Our aim is to turn relationships and knowledge into the capability businesses need to work and grow together.

Two guests holding notebooks and talking beside a table at a Chamber event

Two business guests talking on a rooftop

A smiling speaker in a navy sweater holding a microphone behind a lectern

What we do

Our focus

We connect businesses, investors and professionals seeking to establish, expand or build partnerships between Ireland and Kenya.

Connection

Build relationships between businesses in Kenya and Ireland.
Representation

Give Irish–Kenyan business a collective voice.
Insight

Help businesses close the knowledge gap between both markets.
Growth

Support the move from introductions and knowledge to practical business opportunities.

Our history

Established in Nairobi in 2013

Guests in conversation at a Chamber briefing

The Chamber was established in 2013 as Business Ireland Kenya (BIK), during a visit by Ireland’s former Minister of Trade and Development and the re-opening of Ireland’s embassy in Nairobi.

It formalised a platform supporting a growing Irish business community in Kenya who met to discuss challenges and opportunities to commercial dealings between the two countries. Since then, the Chamber has developed into a major business organisation in Nairobi and a noted convener of high-profile events.

Today, we hold a range of events and webinars to promote business development, including our Quarterly Breakfast Briefings organised around trending topics and keynote speakers. Membership is open to Kenyan, Irish and international businesses whose work promotes trade between the two countries.

Year established: 2013
Connected markets: 2

A seated speaker in a light blue jacket holding a microphone at a Chamber event

Two countries

The Ireland–Kenya relationship

The relationship between Ireland and Kenya is built on a shared history of cooperation and mutual respect. Both countries have a legacy of overcoming challenges, including colonisation, and have committed to building free, democratic societies.

Over the years, Ireland has contributed significantly to Kenya’s development through education, healthcare and humanitarian efforts. The strong ties between the two nations have also fostered growing trade relations, with Irish businesses investing in key sectors such as agriculture, technology and healthcare in Kenya, while Kenyan exports continue to thrive in the Irish market.

This enduring partnership continues to evolve, creating opportunities for further collaboration and growth.

Trade links

Trade links between Ireland and Kenya

€77 million Trade between the two countries as at 2023

Irish businesses have been operating in Kenya for many years, recognising the opportunities available in the country.

Through population growth, increased development, economic strength and changing consumption patterns, Kenya has become an attractive country for increased investment and trading relationships with Ireland.

Trade between the two countries has grown significantly in recent years, amounting to €77 million as at 2023, and is expected to grow in the future.

Irish companies continue to work in the country, while Kenyan businesses are beginning to trade in Ireland through the export of locally produced products.

Each year, we produce guides to help those interested in taking part in this two-way trade better understand their market of interest.

Steering Committee

Meet the Leadership

The Chamber is led by a voluntary Steering Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. The office bearers are the Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer, alongside At-Large members.