State Department for Investment Promotion (SDIP) SO3 BEEEP Project Hosts Private Sector Workshop on Business Environment Reforms

The European Union Funded Business Climate Enhancement Sub- Objective 3 program of Business Environment and Export Enhancement Programme (BEEEP), under the State Department for Investment Promotion (SDIP) launched a week-long workshop from Monday July 21, 2025, for the private sector stakeholders to seek input on improving Kenya’s business environment. 

Private Sector Stakeholders from Nairobi, the city earmarked for assessment participated in the workshop. The objective of the workshop forms part of the SDIP’s wider mandate to attract, facilitate and retain private sector investments by addressing policy, regulatory and administrative bottlenecks. It also aligns with SDIP’s mandate to create a competitive business environment that supports local and foreign investment through effective coordination and engagement.

The Workshop was held in preparation of the World Bank’s new assessment tool called Business Ready (B-ready) through which it assesses and scores a country’s business environment status against 190 global economies. The scoring influences investment flows into a country. 

Kenya is set to be assessed in 2026 and therefore prior sensitization is critical before this assignment. The B- Ready assessment tool assesses 10 indicators of the lifecycle of a business from Business Entry through to Business Insolvency and exit. Each indicator measures through three pillars of regulatory frameworks, public services and efficiency.  Questionnaires on the 10 indicators are administered to enterprises (private sector) both local and foreign; lawyers; practitioners and notaries. The feedback will then be compared to the responses from implementing agencies that include: Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, National Environment Management Authority, National Construction Authority, Nairobi City County Government, Competition Authority of Kenya, Business Registration Services among others.
  
The private sector stakeholders who participated included Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kenya Association of Manufacturers, the EU Delegation to Kenya, American Chamber of Commerce Kenya, British Chamber of Commerce Kenya, East Africa Tea Traders Association, French Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, RETRAK, Kenya Federation of Employers, Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali, East Africa Venture Capital. Consultancy firms supporting businesses ecosystems such as Anjarwalla and Khana, and Consumer Federation of Kenya were also present in the work shop.

Private sector invited included Netherlands Business Hub Kenya, India Kenya Business Council, Kenya Bankers Association, Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya, Kenya Flower Council, Digital Financial Services Association of Kenya, Association of Kenya Insurers, European Chamber of Commerce, KUSCCO Ltd, Credit Information Sharing Association of Kenya Fintech Association of Kenya, Association of Micro-finance Institutions, Shippers Council, Kenya Property Developers Association; Architecture Association of Kenya, Association of Real Estate Stakeholders, and Institution of Surveyors of Kenya.

The workshop was officially opened by Mr. Rueben Ng’eno, Deputy Director at the Department of Business Reforms and Transformation (DBRT) at SDIP and convener for the workshop. “This workshop is not just a policy conversation; it is a co-creation process. We acknowledge that the private sector is the central pillar in shaping the future of investment in Kenya. Your insights and experiences are not only valued, but are essential to the reforms we are driving under BEEEP and the broader World Bank-supported B-Ready initiative,” he said.

At the workshop, participants are being taken through various components of the World Bank’s new Business Ready (B-READY) framework, which replaces the former Doing Business Index. The B-Ready assessment includes a more comprehensive and participatory review of an economy’s investment climate, focusing not only on regulatory frameworks, but also on public service delivery and operational efficiency.
 

Each day of the workshop is dedicated to one or more B-Ready thematic indicators, including business entry and location, utility services, labour, financial services, international trade, taxation, dispute resolution, market competition and insolvency. Subject matter experts present methodologies and guide participants through in-depth discussion and questionnaire-response sessions. Among the emerging issues are the need for faster business registration and licensing processes, improved access to electricity and internet, innovations and intellectual property rights, competition law enforce, actual access to procurement by MSMES, timely dispute resolution mechanisms and enhanced digital public services. 

Director, Stephen Odua emphasized that BEEEP’s strength lies in its ability to translate high-level reforms into tangible outcomes. “From the Business Laws Amendment Act 2024 to the County Licensing Uniform Procedures Regulations 2025, we are seeing real progress. But we must go further. This engagement will inform the next phase of action to make Kenya not only a competitive investment destination, but a dependable one,” he said.

Communications Specialist Kibisu Kabatesi reiterated the importance of reframing and tailoring questionnaires used in the B-Ready assessment to enhance clarity and ensure ease of understanding for participants across sectors. “The language and structure of the questions should reflect the diverse experiences of the business community to elicit practical and actionable feedback,” he said.

Private sector representatives led by CEOs Farida Abbas from British Chamber of Commerce Kenya and Linda Oluoch from Kenya Tea Growers Association welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the reform dialogue, noting that their participation enhances ownership and accountability. Mr. Job Ochieng representing KEPSA said “This workshop is a welcome initiative. As the people navigating these systems daily, our input is crucial. We are encouraged by the government’s willingness to listen and act. Forums like this B-Ready private sector workshop serves as a vital bridge between policy ambition and practical execution”.

The week will culminate in the presentation of a draft action plan, co-developed by stakeholders, outlining priority reform areas and recommendations for implementation. The plan will feed into SDIP’s and BEEEP broader strategic areas, which include enhancing Kenya’s production efficiency, expanding trade in selected value chains and unlocking capital through investment de-risking and public-private partnerships.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Ng’eno stressed the complexity of business ecosystem which triggers the need for reform. Our role as SDIP is to continually engage with a private sector to jointly developer reform agenda 

The elements distilled, in the private sector engagement we have held are useful and will help us constitute critical reform actions. The Private Sector participation is appreciated.