{"id":102875,"date":"2023-09-16T18:58:30","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T18:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/president-ruto-in-silicon-valley-charm-offensive"},"modified":"2023-09-16T19:49:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-16T19:49:19","slug":"president-ruto-in-silicon-valley-charm-offensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/president-ruto-in-silicon-valley-charm-offensive","title":{"rendered":"President Ruto in Silicon Valley charm offensive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Kenya. <\/strong><\/span>President William Ruto has invited American technology firms to set up operations and regional offices in Kenya.<\/p>\n<p>He said Kenya has a conducive environment for investments in technology and manufacturing.<\/p>\n<p>The President noted that the Government is pursuing ambitious reforms that will turn Kenya into a regional business hub.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Kenya is economically stable, entrepreneurial, secure, innovative with a favourable tax environment,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>He added: \u201cWe also have a huge pool of skilled manpower, technological expertise, green energy credentials and a gateway for six undersea fibre-optic cables providing reliable data connectivity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The President was speaking when he met with executives from Apple (Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook), Microsoft, Google, Intel, Nike, GAP and other investors in San Francisco, United States.<\/p>\n<p>He assured the investors that the Government will carefully consider and address any concerns they may have to boost their confidence in Kenya. President Ruto affirmed the Government&#8217;s dedication to propelling Kenya into an African technological hub.<\/p>\n<p>He said Kenya&#8217;s robust digital connectivity perfectly aligns with the entrepreneurial drive of its people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is the strategic intent of this Government to support the enhancement of Kenya\u2019s position as the epicentre of African innovation and technological transformation,&#8221; he explained. US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman, British Robinson, Coordinator Prosper Africa, several investors and captains of industry, attended the forum.<\/p>\n<p>Ambassador Whitman said Kenya is the most stable democracy in East Africa, a regional logistics and leading financial hub, a gateway to the East African market, and a key destination for foreign direct investment and venture capital.<\/p>\n<p>She noted that Kenya has successfully attracted global companies while also fostering innovative local companies that lead in innovation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What I see happening has many of the critical components that would make Silicon Savannah a reality,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Prosper Africa coordinator British Robinson said that the American Government has launched a presidential initiative: Digital Transformation for Africa that seeks to unlock the continent&#8217;s e-commerce and digital potential.<\/p>\n<p>She said that this initiative will assist American companies in deal sourcing, vetting, partnership formation and de-risking transactions to ensure their investments come to fruition.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are committed to partnering with you all to unlock your business and investment potential in Africa,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>American firms expressed confidence in Kenya as an ideal investment destination.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft COO Brad Smith said Kenya&#8217;s impressive returns on investment positions it as an appealing destination for American venture capital.<\/p>\n<p>He said that Kenya, despite offering solutions with broader applicability to connectivity and energy, remains largely unexplored.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think it has not been discovered to the extent it should be explored by the American venture capital community,&#8221; he observed.<\/p>\n<p>Smith also said Kenya&#8217;s combination of low taxes and a strong commitment to the rule of law significantly enhances its overall competitiveness.<\/p>\n<p>Google CFO Ruth Porat said Google has committed to investing USD 1 billion in Africa to bolster its digital training and innovation initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are part of Kenya\/US strategic investment initiative and are willing to collaborate around cloud,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Visa Global President Oliver Jenkyn said Kenya has played a vital role in enabling Visa to establish a strong presence in the East African market.<\/p>\n<p>He said the organisation has picked Kenya as the only African country to host Visa&#8217;s global digital innovation studio.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Less than a year ago, Visa made a commitment to invest USD 1 Billion in Africa over the next five years and a large portion of that is going to Kenya,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>805 Wine managing member Tony Hail said their investment in Kenya has yielded profitability, igniting their enthusiasm for extending their footprint in the country.<\/p>\n<p>President Ruto also met with executives from Levi Strauss and the Grammy Association.<\/p>\n<p>Microsoft has made a significant impact in Kenya by providing wireless broadband and device recharge facilities to over 1.5 million people in rural areas through a partnership with Mawingu.<\/p>\n<p>The firm also supports African startups, drives AI-driven solutions, and contributes to digital skilling and employment initiatives, showcasing its commitment to advancing technology and innovation in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Google Hustle Academy supports SMEs, having around 1000 graduates celebrated during the 2022 Jamhuri Day.<\/p>\n<p>It has actively contributed to Kenya&#8217;s development by granting Sh600 million to enhance connectivity for crucial citizen services and assist in affordable smartphone device creation.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Intel has established an AI Developer Lab at Kenya Technical Trainers&#8217; College to train master trainers for youth AI application development.<\/p>\n<p>Apple, too, is working with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to enhance the country&#8217;s healthcare technology and innovation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <a href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\">Kenya<\/a> Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/\">Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Kenya. President William Ruto has invited American technology firms to set up operations and regional offices in Kenya. He said Kenya has a conducive environment for investments in technology and manufacturing. The President noted that the Government is pursuing ambitious reforms that will turn Kenya into a regional business hub. &#8220;Kenya is economically [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":102873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7,8,12],"tags":[6857,7003,544],"class_list":["post-102875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-homepage-english","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-kenya","tag-kenya"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>President Ruto in Silicon Valley charm offensive - kenya<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"President William Ruto has invited American technology firms to set up operations and regional offices in Kenya. 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