KIPPRA conference ends with renewed calls for inclusive economic growth and youth empowerment

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Herman Kamarike with a face of the facts. Let's now head to Mombasa and the ninth annual regional conference by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, KIPPRA, has concluded in Mombasa with renewed calls for Kenya to strengthen value chains, invest in infrastructure, and empower youth to accelerate inclusive economic growth. Tobias Chanji with more.

[00:00:26]The 2026 conference brought together more than 700 delegates, drawn from the public and private sectors, academia, non-governmental organizations, youth groups, and marginalized communities to deliberate on ways of improving competitiveness across key sectors of the economy. One of the key takeaways that I I learned from today is basically structuring your value chain.

[00:00:53]Speaking during the conference, KIPPRA Executive Director Dr. Eldah Onsomu noted that the conference generated recommendations aimed at increasing productivity. Investing in infrastructure development, investing in cold rooms, and also ensuring that markets are linked to the consumers, whereby we have to focus on the cost of value addition.

[00:01:23]Delegates also highlighted the need for improved logistics systems, saying weak transport and distribution networks continue to hinder producers and lead to wastage.

[00:01:35]The conference also looked at areas of deepening industrialization, processing, ensuring that we invest in logistics, because this was identified as one of the gaps in value chains.

[00:01:50]Tobias Chanji, KTN, Mombasa County.

[00:01:55]COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has urged political leaders to avoid has urged political leaders to avoid a