PROPAK EAST AFRICA 2026: 10 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION – SHAPING THE FUTURE OF PACKAGING IN KENYA AND EAST AFRICA
Welcome to the Kenya Packaging Network website page – your growing digital packaging community.
As our first in-depth post following the welcome message, we are excited to reflect on the powerful moments we all shared at Propak East Africa 2026, held from 3rd to 5th March 2026 at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi. This milestone event celebrated 10 years of excellence and innovation, bringing together suppliers, manufacturers, SMEs, regulators, and international partners to advance the packaging, printing, plastics, and food processing sectors.
Propak has become East Africa’s premier platform for collaboration, and many of you – our early members – were there on the ground. Whether you joined from Kenya or travelled from other countries, the conversations reinforced one clear truth: packaging is no longer a side activity – it is essential trade infrastructure driving competitiveness, sustainability, and export success.
Here are the standout insights from three key speeches that defined the event’s vision.
Government Vision for Manufacturing and Sustainability – PS Regina Akoth Ombam, Principal Secretary for Trade, State Department for Trade
Principal Secretary Regina Akoth Ombam set the national tone in her opening remarks, congratulating organisers on a decade of bringing industry together. She emphasised Kenya’s ambition to raise the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP from the current 7 – 8% to 15%, through deeper value addition, industrial employment, and a shift from exporting raw materials to processed goods.
PS Ombam stated that “Packaging and processing… are trade infrastructure. Every agricultural export, pharmaceutical product, and fast-moving consumer good depends on packaging systems that meet global standards for safety, durability, traceability, and sustainability.”
She called for sustainability to move beyond compliance and become a competitive differentiator and driver of innovation. Kenya’s leadership in areas like plastic regulation and circular economy discussions positions the country well, but manufacturers must now lead in recyclable materials, biodegradable alternatives, and waste-to-value solutions.
On regional and continental trade, she noted that the AfCFTA offers enormous potential, but success depends on production capacity, standards harmonisation, and efficient packaging. To international delegations (including pavilions from Italy and Austria), she extended a warm welcome and stressed mutual partnerships that strengthen local capacity through investment, joint ventures, and technology transfer.
Her government commitments included enabling market access, sound trade policies, value chain development, export facilitation, and SME support. She closed by urging collective action to scale production, invest in advanced technologies, build sustainable supply chains, and position East Africa more strongly in global trade.
Packaging as Strategic Trade Infrastructure – Joseph Nyongesa, CEO, Institute of Packaging Professionals Kenya (IOPPK)
In his opening address, Joseph Nyongesa reminded the audience that “Packaging Technology is the silent strategic infrastructure of trade, not a technical afterthought.” He positioned packaging as the bridge that carries Kenyan and East African products from village workshops to regional markets and global shelves – protecting value, unlocking competitiveness, and honouring the livelihoods of farmers, artisans, and SMEs.
Nyongesa highlighted IOPPK’s decade of support for Propak and the EAC Annual Packaging Summit, which serves as a regional anchor for standards alignment, sustainability, and trade competitiveness. He made a strong policy ask: that packaging be given its own dedicated chapter as a Strategic Pillar in Kenya’s Trade Policy, embedding innovation, standards, circularity, and market access into national strategies.
His message was clear and inspiring – real transformation happens when government clarity meets industry courage.
The Future of Packaging: Leveraging the East African Packaging Directory – Rita Mchaki, Associate Programme Adviser, Value Chain Packaging, International Trade Centre (ITC)
Rita Mchaki delivered a practical and forward-looking presentation titled “The Future of Packaging in East Africa: Leveraging the East African Packaging Directory for Regional Competitiveness.”
She described packaging as a competitiveness driver – critical for food safety, compliance, branding, value addition in agro-processing and manufacturing, and SME productivity. Mchaki outlined market forces such as growing FMCG and pharmaceutical sectors, rising cross-border trade under the EAC and AfCFTA, stricter sustainability regulations, and consumer demand for eco-friendly solutions.
Addressing structural gaps like fragmented supplier linkages and slow adoption of sustainable materials, she introduced the East African Packaging Directory – a digital B2B platform developed under the EU-funded MARKUP II programme. This searchable platform connects verified packaging suppliers across East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan) with SMEs, reducing sourcing risks, improving export readiness, and promoting cross-border partnerships.
Key benefits include better alignment with sustainability requirements (biodegradable and recycled materials, Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks, SDG 12, and EU Green Deal implications) and incentives for suppliers to innovate and certify.
Call from Rita Mchaki: Suppliers should register, get certified, update profiles, and explore partnerships. SMEs should leverage the platform for smarter sourcing. This tool represents a concrete step toward a more transparent, sustainable, and integrated packaging ecosystem.
What This Means for International Players
For our members joining from outside Kenya and East Africa, Propak 2026 and these speeches signal a region that is serious about openness and growth. Kenya and the EAC are actively seeking quality investments, technology partnerships, and collaborations that deliver mutual benefit while building local capability.
The emphasis on sustainable packaging, circular economy practices, and tools like the East African Packaging Directory creates clear entry points for international suppliers, technology providers, and investors. Whether you bring expertise in eco-friendly materials, advanced machinery, or global standards compliance, there is strong appetite for partnerships that help East African manufacturers meet rising global expectations while expanding regional trade under AfCFTA.
Moving Forward as the Kenya Packaging Network
Propak East Africa 2026 reminded us all why packaging matters – as a lever for trade competitiveness, sustainability, SME growth, and regional integration. The conversations we shared there do not need to end when the exhibition closes.
That is exactly why the Kenya Packaging Network exists: to extend these industry conversations beyond expos and keep professionals connected, informed, and engaged throughout the year. Aligned with the broader packaging ecosystem and the Institute of Packaging Professionals Kenya (IOPPK), we will continue sharing insights, trends, regulatory updates, and opportunities that matter to suppliers, manufacturers, SMEs, and emerging talent across the value chain.
As our community grows – with members from Kenya and international colleagues met at Propak and beyond – we are building a confident, collaborative space for the packaging industry.
Join the conversation and help us grow: Invite your colleagues, friends, and professional contacts in the packaging sector to join the Kenya Packaging Network WhatsApp channel. If you are exploring collaborations, partnerships, or knowledge-sharing opportunities in sustainable packaging, trade facilitation, or innovation, feel free to reach out – we are here to connect the right people.
Together, we can carry the momentum from Propak’s 10 years of excellence into sustained progress for Kenya’s and East Africa’s packaging community.
Stay connected. Stay informed. Let’s build a stronger, more sustainable packaging future.
Kenya Packaging Network – In alignment with the Institute of Packaging Professionals Kenya (IOPPK)