Tujikuze Showcases Kenya’s Artisan Innovation at the 25th EAC MSME Trade Fair
This year’s fair carried special significance as it coincided with the historic opening of the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) regional corporate office in Nairobi, the first of its kind outside Geneva. The new office marks ITC’s strengthened commitment to respond more rapidly and effectively to the needs of businesses in Kenya, the EAC, and across the continent.
Speaking at the launch, His Excellency President William Ruto and ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton underscored the vital role of MSMEs as “engines of job creation and drivers of innovation.” They emphasized the importance of building a stronger MSME ecosystem, improving international competitiveness, and dismantling barriers to trade within the region. The milestone, they noted, represents not just Kenya’s achievement but a regional advancement toward inclusive trade and growth.
ITC’s Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI)plays a pivotal role in connecting social enterprises, artisans, and micro-producers to global value chains. EFI’s work in Kenya, which is supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), focuses on promoting sustainable production, ethical trade, and the empowerment of marginalized groups, particularly women and youth.
EFI’s vision aligns closely with the goals of the EAC fair: to enhance regional trade, create meaningful employment, and strengthen MSMEs as key engines of sustainable development. Through its partnerships, EFI continues to demonstrate how ethical production can foster both social inclusion and economic resilience.
At the fair, EFI’s social enterprise partner in Kenya, Tujikuze, proudly showcased a range of handcrafted products that demonstrated artisanal innovation. The exhibit highlighted Tujikuze’s growing productive capacity and its commitment to ethical, locally rooted production practices.
The fair provided a powerful platform for dialogue among governments, development partners, and entrepreneurs on strengthening MSME ecosystems in East Africa. Tujikuze’s presence stood as a tangible example of how inclusive business models can thrive with the right partnerships and market access.
The event also reinforced ITC’s and EFI’s shared commitment to advancing the MSE Ministerial Call to Action made in South Africa, focusing on greater competitiveness, inclusion, and trade facilitation for small businesses across the continent.
Looking Ahead
As a social enterprise working with a broad network of artisan groups, Tujikuze represents a compelling case study of how MSMEs can build inclusive and sustainable value chains, creating meaningful jobs, particularly for women and youth, while preserving the region’s rich heritage craft skills.
Through initiatives like Tujikuze, Kenya and the East African region are demonstrating that creativity, inclusion, and commerce can move together, driving not only economic growth but also cultural preservation and social impact.