Over 20 countries confirm participation at 2015 WTO Conference in Nairobi

Over 25 countries have confirmed participation in the 10th World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference that will be held in Nairobi in December this year, the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) Managing Director Fred Simiyu announced Sunday.

The confirmation, made to the Kenya delegation led by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Cabinet Amina Mohammed and Mr Simiyu in Geneva on Wednesday, marked major progress towards hosting one of the largest number of WTO delegates.

Some of the countries that have already booked their delegations to come to Kenya are Russia, Canada, Panama, Italy, Austria, china, Malaysia and Singapore among others.

The Kenyan team made a presentation to the 172 member countries Information Assembly in Geneva on Kenya's preparedness to host over 7,000 delegates who are expected to attend and inject Sh4.08 billion into the economy, said Simiyu.

The confirmation comes when dust is just settling down on the buzz created around the country last month as the country hosted the sixth-annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES 2015), a major first in sub-Saharan Africa.

Business tourism

With traditional tourism in a recovery mode, business tourism such as this first WTO conference in sub-Saharan Africa, will bring the highest number of delegates in December this year. Simiyu says the 10th WTO conference is expected to boost the country's economy through the multiplier effect of the monies that will accrue to the country's GDP.

According to Kenya Institute Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra) findings, each delegate will spend an average Sh97,154.25 daily and the delegates will stay for at least six days.

Kenya, he says, will be the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to host the 10th Ministerial Conference of WTO in December. It has attracted over 7000 international delegates - the biggest number of conference delegates hosted in the country's history.

The WTO Deputy Director General, David Shark, held consultative meetings last week ahead of the conference with Ms Mohammed and her team. Kenya has launched a charm offensive to attract major meetings, incentives, travel conferences and exhibitions (MICE) events into the country through KICC.