The US-Kenya Alumni Association hosted the inaugural US-Kenya Pamoja Fair at the Ole Sereni Hotel on Friday 26th September 2025.
The event was the culmination of a series of year-long activities held to commemorate 60 years of US-Kenya diplomatic ties.
United State Embassy in Nairobi Charge d’Affaires Susan Burns underscored the critical role played by the expansive US alumni network in Kenya toward strengthening relations between the two countries with trade in the energy, technology, agribusiness and creative economy sectors playing a central role.
“Kenya’s population growth has expanded the market for US products, services and investments” noted Ambassador Burns. “As US government programme alumni, you did not just bring back knowledge and experience, you are remixing and scaling it to create jobs and transform institutions which is what we need to bring this partnership together.”
More than 8,000 Kenyans have been beneficiaries of US-Kenya exchange programmes through initiatives such as the Fulbright Program, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), the Mandela-Washington Fellowship and the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) among a total of 93 exchange programmes offered by the United States Embassy in Nairobi.
Some of the most notable beneficiaries of the exchange programmes include Barack Obama senior, father to former US President Barack Obama as well as Kenya’s current President, William Ruto.
While speaking on a panel at the event, Mombasa County Chief Executive Committee Member for Youth, Gender & Sports, Ken Ambani, who is also a beneficiary of the US-Kenya exchange programme, highlighted the initiatives’ impact on the development of the creative sector in the coast region.
“We are currently implementing a training programme on film making for 100 youth in Mombasa county, which is a direct outcome of this initiative,” said Ambani. “Later, we plan to host the Mombasa International Film Festival where we shall link the films produced by our young people to the Hollywood market.”
Bold Impact Africa CEO & Founder Simon Nyaga, who also serves as the alumni’s coordinator in the Mt. Kenya region, urged participants to apply the knowledge and networks acquired to enhance agricultural productivity which will be a key pillar of US-Kenya trade. The 2024 YALI programme beneficiary is championing soil science research partnerships between Kenya and the USA.
On the policy front, scholars, led by Dr. Winnie Rugutt who heads the Africa Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) at the University of Nairobi, called for the establishment of a sound bilateral framework amid concerns over the conclusion of the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) at the end of September 2025.
