Uhuru, Nigerian billionaire Dangote expected at Baringo business summit
Final touches are made on Wednesday ahead of the Baringo Entrepreneurship and Expo Summit that starts Thursday November 12, 2015. President Uhuru Kenyatta and Nigerian dollar billionaire Aliko Dangote are expected at the summit. PHOTO | CHEBOITE KIGEN | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Organisers were Wednesday putting final touches at the Kabarnet Show Grounds where the expo will be held.
- Guests started arriving Wednesday and an official dinner was held for them at the Lake Bogoria Spa Resort.
- Entrepreneurs will be required to display their innovations and the winning pitch will get a grand prize of Sh1.5 million
- The summit has been organised by Ultum Mega Limited.
Walkways and faulty street lights in Kabarnet Town were Wednesday being repaired ahead of the Baringo Entrepreneurship and Expo Summit that starts Thursday.
Organisers were Wednesday putting final touches at the Kabarnet Show Grounds where the expo will be held.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, are expected at the summit.
Guests started arriving Wednesday and an official dinner was held for them at the Lake Bogoria Spa Resort.
The two-day summit is expected to host more than 3,000 guests and over 10 heads of diplomatic missions.
Nigerian dollar billionaire Mr Dangote owns the Lagos-based Dangote Group with interests in the cement, sugar, salt, flour, noodles and real estate, among other investments.
His business empire stretches into Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Togo, Tanzania and Zambia.
The 58-year-old has an estimated net worth of $16.6 billion (Sh16.6 trillion) according to Forbes magazine.
He recently launched cement plants in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Zambia and Tanzania.
Dangote Cement produces over 30 million tonnes of cement a year. Mr Dangote plans to double capacity by 2018, according to Forbes magazine.
SUMMIT FOCUS
The Baringo summit will focus on energy, agribusiness and tourism.
The summit has been organised by Ultum Mega Limited.
The firm’s chief executive Isaac Kalua is behind similar business summits in Nandi, Kisii and eastern Kenya.
“We have sourced all supplies locally, including personnel, to ensure the people of Baringo benefit,” Dr Kalua said.
Entrepreneurs will be required to display their innovations and the winning pitch will get a grand prize of Sh1.5 million while the first runner-up will pocket Sh1 million and the second runner-up will get Sh500,000.
Baringo tourism and enterprise development executive Kipchumba Keitany says a three-day road show traversing Eldama Ravine, Saos, Marigat, Kabarnet and Kabartonjo towns started on Tuesday.
“We have suspended air transport due to bad weather but it will resume when the weather is normal,” said Mr Keitany.
Security has also been beefed up
Additional reporting by Rachel Kibui.
