MARKET DEEPENING
ALREADY CONDUCTED STAKEHOLDER EVENTS
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The Authority hosts annual Small and Medium Size (SME) conferences with relevant stakeholders to explore progress made in facilitating SMEs to utilize capital Markets as a preferred avenue for accessing capital, while also seeking to understand the impediments to the full participation of SMEs in capital markets. For the 2022/23 financial year, the Authority hosted the event on November 10, 2022 – the third such conference themed ‘Promoting Sustainability of SMEs through Innovative Capital Markets financing options’. The key stakeholders represented in the forum which was the third since the forum’s launch included the Micro SMEs Authority, Kenya Deposit Corporation, NSE, CDSC, Capital Market stakeholders, SMEs, USAID, SME Founders Association and KASIB, among others. The forum delved into the role, areas of convergence and opportunities for SMEs, while giving an overview of the most recent SMEs challenges, opportunities, and proposed solutions from an industry perspective.
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The Authority participated as a sponsor and an exhibitor at the 5th Manufacturing Summit and Expo- Changamka Shopping Festival 2022 organized by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development in Nairobi & Kisumu. The event brought together manufacturing companies from different sectors including Food & Beverage, Plastic & Rubber, Chemical & Allied, Agro-Processing, Automotive, Timber, Energy, Electrical & Electronics, Building, Mining & Construction, Leather & Footwear, Metal & Allied, Paper Sector, Textile & Apparel. Participation in the festival enabled the Authority to present on the capital-raising opportunities available for the manufacturing sector within capital markets.
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The Authority hosted the Capital Markets Conference on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).
The session highlighted:
- Kenya’s REITs journey, the challenges, risks, opportunities, and outlook for 2023;
- REITs issuance process in Kenya – Notable points;
- Kenya’s REITs Market – Current initiatives and the future of REITs Association of Kenya;
- Affordable Housing Projects from a Developer’s perspective – what the experience has been like and
- The place for REITs in supporting the Government’s affordable housing agenda.
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In collaboration with FSD Africa and Agusto & Co. among others, the Authority has been participating in County engagements aimed at assessing the readiness of projects within counties for green bonds in an effort to promote the uptake of green bonds in Kenya.
In addition, the Authority has collaborated with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) & Climate Bond Initiative (CBI) to conduct trainings on Green, Social & Sustainability bonds issuance process, with the aim of improving issuer capacity and knowledge of these products to enhance uptake.
ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR THE REST OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR
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As a way of improving the knowledge base and elevating the understanding on ETFs and their utilization as a viable capital market instrument the Authority intends to host a structured capital markets workshop on Exchange Traded Funds on a date to be announced in due course.
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The Authority hosts an annual Capital Markets industry forum, to take stock of market performance, identify challenges and opportunities, while outlining the outlook for the country’s capital markets. The forum brings together market players within the industry and provides them with an opportunity to freely interact so as to obtain feedback on how to move forward. The Authority intends to host the 3rd annual conference this year on a date to be announced soon.
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The Islamic finance industry in Kenya remains largely untapped, despite the desire to turn Kenya into an Islamic finance hub. To enhance awareness and explore the opportunities, challenges and outlook, the Authority intends to host an Islamic Finance Conference on a date we shall announce in due course.
