A host of U.S. companies have committed to invest over $600 million (about KES78 billion) in new investments in Kenya as East Africa's largest economy cements its position as regional gateway for American capital seeking new frontiers.

An update from the AmCham Business Summit which ends today in Nairobi shows that American investors are eyeing the establishment of data centres, agriculture projects and e-mobility investments in the coming months.

A key commitment was announced by Digital Reality, a cloud and carrier-neutral data centre that has unveiled $80 million (about KES10.4 billion) centre in Nairobi as it grows its footprint in Africa.

Digital Reality is positioning itself to tap into the continent’s increasing demand for sovereign data capacity as Nairobi transitions into a digital first economy.

Also unveiled during the summit was a blockchain-powered mobility financing platform built in Kenya by US companies Telecom and Power Hive. This investment is poised to allow investors to finance electric assets directly and settle payments instantly through global wallets, a model that could unlock capital for Kenya’s nascent e-mobility sector.

Investments in agriculture

In agriculture industry, representatives of the US Department of Agriculture unveiled a fresh five-year, $19.2 million (about KES2.48 billion) project to improve access to affordable, high-quality livestock feed in Kenya. 

This initiative will be rolled out by Counterpart International in partnership with Rooftoba, the Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers and the State Department for Livestock Development, noted Agriculture PS Jonathan Mueke.

Additionally, Washington has also committed to deepen co-operation on cargo screening, container security and customs enforcement, bringing in American vendors and screening systems for port and logistics infrastructure in the country. 

What's more, the U.S. said it will be facilitating increased bilateral engagement, with upcoming Kenyan delegations to the U.S. focused on the creative industries and cybersecurity.

The 2026 AmCham Business Summit also saw the launch of a SelectUSA tech pitch competition for Kenyan startups, with the winner due to travel to the U.S. in May 2027 to pitch to leading venture capital investors.

Ruto on investment policy

President William Ruto used the forum to reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to a more transparent and investment-friendly business environment, arguing that regulatory reform is the foundation of his pitch to foreign capital.

“This summit convenes at a defining moment,” Dr. Ruto said, adding that: “Global capital is seeking new frontiers; businesses are reconfiguring their operations and supply chains, and Africa is emerging as the world’s next major horizon for growth.”

“Ultimately, predictability is the product Kenya is pitching. Capital moves when the rules are clear, licenses are issued on time, verified refunds are paid, contracts are respected, and agreed terms do not change halfway through an investment," explained President Ruto.

Dr. Ruto pointed to progress on commitments made at the 2023 summit, including the removal of VAT on exported services, changes to tax refund rules, reforms to employee share taxation and the scrapping of a 30 percent local equity requirement for major technology firms. 

He said foreign direct investment had risen from $1.5 billion in 2022 to a record $3.2 billion last year, while nearly 100 Special Economic Zone enterprises licensed over the past four years have created roughly 22,000 jobs in the industry.

Investment reforms

Ongoing reforms, he said, include implementation of the County Licensing (Uniform Procedures) Act, a proposed Investment and Export Promotion Bill, a digitised Investment One Stop Centre and new measures to simplify compliance.

Ruto cited investments by Oracle, Coca-Cola, Mars Wrigley and SC Johnson since the previous summit in 2024, and said Ford is exploring opportunities in Kenya.

He also identified critical minerals as a major area for future investment, inviting capital not only for extraction but for processing and downstream manufacturing in rare earths, titanium, graphite and lithium.

According to US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank W. Garcia Jr., Kenya is positioning itself as a gateway for international investment into Africa, describing the country as sitting at a “strategic crossroad”.

“Africa is not a footnote; it’s a gateway to a $3.4 trillion market and Kenya is leading the way,” Garcia said. “We look forward to taking our balanced trade relationship to the next level.”

Garcia, who spent years focused on Africa in the US Congress, said the relationship is moving away from a model centred on aid dependency towards one focused on trade, investment and mutual benefit. 

He said President Donald Trump's administration seeks a “win-win” partnership with African countries built around commercial outcomes, noting that the administration and the State Department have helped close 50 transactions worth $28.2 billion across sub-Saharan Africa.

Ruto welcomed the recent extension of AGOA to December 2028, but stressed that Kenya’s longer-term ambition is to build a “more enduring, reciprocal and mutually beneficial” trade relationship with the US.

Angela Ng’ang’a, Board President of AmCham Kenya, urged businesses to take advantage of the reforms to expand partnerships. 

“The government has taken bold steps to strengthen the business environment and reinforce investor confidence,” she said. “American companies increasingly see Kenya not just as a market, but as a launchpad for regional and continental growth.”

AmCham said it has tracked nine priority reforms at the heart of the US-Kenya commercial relationship, covering tax, licensing, investment protection and digital infrastructure.

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