Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) President, Dr Eric Rutto, and his running mate, Mr Mustafa Ramadhan, have promised increase lobbying activities to bring down the cost of doing business in Kenya. Dr Rutto said multiple licences and taxes as well as pending bills as the biggest challenges to businesses in Kenya.
He said the chamber would push both county and national governments to put in place policies that encourage investment for the country to achieve its development goals. “Our leadership will focus and emphasize on advocacy,” Mr Rutto said moments after being declared winner of KNCCI presidential elections. “We will position the chamber at the centre of influencing pro-business public policy and development priorities at the National and County level.”
Dr Eric Rutto and Mustafa Ramadhan beat the incumbent Chamber President Richard Ngatia and his running mate Abdulwalli Shariff garnering 291 against 208 votes.
He added that such policies will cushion Kenyan businesses from exploitation, dumping and unfair trade practices. Dr Rutto has called on collaboration between the business community, county and national government in formulating important policy documents such as the finance bills and to push the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya and Export Kenya Focus.
The Chamber President also lauded the government’s value chain approach to drive the economy, saying the business community is ready and able to seize the opportunity.
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These are part of the promises in his manifesto anchored on six pillars including: advocacy, networking and collaboration, institutional strengthening, economic diplomacy, market linkages and inclusivity. The new leadership believes this will help the chamber to achieve its mandate and offer services to its membership.
“We will also in the coming days review and operationalize existing MoUs and cascade them to our county chapters so that our members can benefit. Thereafter we will build on the chapters mobilization capacity to strengthen local and global partnerships that build on our synergies and comparative advantage,” he added.
Mr Mustafa Ramadhan, the deputy KNCCI president, said the chamber would establish a financial and information management system to empower members to thrive in the ever evolving landscape.
“We will start by the digitization of our members to ease support and coordination and establish data on investment opportunities in the 47 chapters to attract investments. We will also offer value to all our existing members for membership mobilization and renewal rate for sustained growth,” Mr Ramadhan said.
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As the duos first order of business, the position of women in business, youth in business and people living with disabilities was cemented into the chambers memorandum and articles of association (MEMARTS) making it a function office with financial resources. In the next 60 days each of the 10 regions in Kenya is expected to elect a women in business representative with the culmination of the Women in Business President election thereafter.
Dr Eric Rutto
Dr Erick Kipkoech Rutto is an entrepreneur, the Founder of Reale Group of Hospitals which are in 5 counties. Dr Rutto serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Water Sector Trust Fund (WaterFund). He holds a Master’s of Science degree in Tropical and Infectious Diseases, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Nairobi. Dr. Rutto is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology (JKUAT)
Professionally, Dr Rutto is an active member of the Kenya Medical Association (KMA), the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH), and serves as the Chairman of the Eldoret Private Hospital Owners Association (EPHOA).
Mustafa Ramadhan
Mr Mustafa Ramadhan is the Managing Director of Royal Tea and Commodities Limited. He is the immediate former Chairman of KNCCI Mombasa chapter. He has served as Managing Director of Royal Tea and Commodities Limited since the inception of the company in 2008.
He has vast business interests and offices around the world including Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen and Oman where he has gained a wealth of knowledge in international trade and global markets.
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