British Chamber of Commerce Kenya opens coastal chapter
The British High Commissioner to Kenya, Nic Hailey, has formally launched a new Coastal Chapter of the British Chamber of Commerce Kenya (BCCK) at an event in the coastal town of Mombasa.
The BCCK promotes trade links between Kenya and Great Britain. Now in its fourth year of operations, the Chamber represents over 200 members, from FTSE 100 companies down to individual consultants. Its membership includes some of the largest tax payers in Kenya, and as a whole provides employment to more than 200,000 people in the country.
The new Mombasa Chapter will represent, support and advocate on behalf of British business in the Coastal region across a wide range of sectors including Tourism, Agri Business, Shipping, Infrastructure and Transport. The UK Government is investing heavily in the region, with around Ksh 10bn aimed at creating jobs, developing infrastructure and strengthening the investment climate at the Coast.
Speaking at the event, British High Commissioner Nic Hailey said: We want to see more links between UK and Kenyan business; more partnerships, more jobs, and a better business environment. The launch of the BCCK at the Coast will provide a further platform for UK and Kenyan companies to work together; forming partnerships, sharing innovation and building prosperity in the region.
The launch follows UK PM Theresa May’s ‘Global Britain’ speech, in which she outlined her plan to more actively seek trade deals for the UK beyond the borders of the EU.
Mr Hailey went on to announce the opening of a new UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Mombasa. The new facility will provide an additional option to the VAC already operating in Nairobi, extending the range of UK Visa services offered to customers across Kenya.
