FRANK GARCIA ON WHAT USA & KENYA WILL GAIN AND BENEFIT FROM EACH OTHER IN BUSINESS & INOVATION

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At the Armcham Business Summit 2026, Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary for the Africa Bureau of the U.S. State Department and an appointee of President Trump, emphasized that American business engagements in Kenya are built on deep-rooted partnerships rather than mere extraction. He explained that the true benefit to the local economy extends far beyond corporate profits, flowing directly into the surrounding communities through significant investments in employee training and the development of secondary markets around industrial activities. This approach ensures that the billions in trade and investment discussed at such summals translate into tangible improvements for ordinary citizens by fostering a collaborative environment where both American and Kenyan interests are mutually respected and enhanced. A central theme of Garcia's visit was the transformative potential of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, which he identified as a major driver for creating real employment opportunities for young Africans. Highlighting recent developments, he noted the opening of a new data center in downtown Nairobi with shared ownership between Kenyan and American entities, demonstrating what can be achieved through joint effort. Furthermore, Garcia pointed to the success of local innovators who have developed their own applications using access points provided by American infrastructure, signaling a bright future for the information technology sector. He also expressed hope that groundbreaking mining technologies developed in the United States could soon be brought to the Kenyan market, further diversifying economic opportunities beyond traditional sectors. The core philosophy driving these collaborations is the pursuit of a "win-win" scenario where initiatives are beneficial simultaneously to both nations. Garcia described this focus as moving from a model of aid to one of trade, ensuring that any deal made is good for Kenya just as it is for America. This intersection of mutual benefit serves as the primary filter for all engagements, meaning that projects lacking value for either party are not pursued. By prioritizing this shared prosperity, the United States and Kenya aim to build a sustainable future where economic growth is inclusive and driven by genuine cooperation rather than unilateral advantage. Looking ahead, Garcia encouraged delegates, investors, and partners attending the summit to anticipate concrete deals and long-term opportunities facilitated by the American Chamber of Commerce. He praised the chamber's role in connecting American business ventures with Kenyan talent over decades, creating a robust network that fosters innovation and growth. Ultimately, the summit represents an exciting assembly of tech minds and innovators brought together to capitalize on these shared opportunities. Through continued dialogue and partnership, both nations are poised to unlock new levels of economic potential, ensuring that the benefits of globalization and technological advancement reach every corner of their respective societies.

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We are still at the Armcham Business Summit 2026. My name is Miss Betty Kitingi and welcome to SPMBBA. Right now I am joined by a very special guest who's going to be introducing himself. How are you sir? >> Very well. My name is Frank Garcia. I'm the assistant secretary for the Africa Bureau, the US State Department. I am President Trump's uh appointee for the person that manages the office responsible for all of our engagements across Africa. And I'm here today as a invited member at this Amcham conference because as you know the American chamber and uh and our experience across the continent especially here in Kenya is long and deep and I'm really happy to be here at this exciting event. >> It is quite long and deep for sure. Now we're here to talk business to talk investment to talk partnerships and we get to hear a lot of billions in investment and trade. But as an ordinary person, the question would be what does this talks benefit me? >> Yeah, that that's a great question. You know, you always have to kind of bring something local. And on the local side, um you know, if I were a Kenyan, um I would be asking that exact same question. And what I can tell you about the way US does business, we do business such that it benefits not just the the company and corporate structure, but in it benefits the entire surrounding community. um we care about uh the employees and I think that's one thing that's really important to us as Americans is it's a partnership and and there are some companies and some countries in particular that it's about extraction and not partnership. We bring partnership and uh the numbers that you're hearing in billions um how does that make it to the local economy? It makes it the local economy primarily through investing in training >> in um secondary markets surrounding um the industrial activity and uh and that flows out to the uh to the surrounding community. >> Now what really flows because where are the jobs what sectors do you see creating real employment for young Africans? >> Boy, that that's a great question. I mean right now um AI is the buzz, right? So I'm I didn't mean to necessarily use the you but uh but AI really is the buzz and um and one of the leadership places that the United States has is an artificial intelligence and we have done a really good job of developing the tech stack that lies on top of you know all artificial intelligence. Um, one of the things I got to do while I was here um, yesterday was we opened a data center here in downtown and it was the second data center and everyone that was just about everyone that is in that opening, they were all local Kenyons and and the company while there was some shared ownership, Kenyan and American ownership, what it showed is what we can do together. Um, I would absolutely say the information technology sector is huge for growth. And we got I got to see um three people that were selected from the I forget what the name of the bus, but it's like an innovation bus that runs around town and you know three or four of the bright canyon mines that had developed applications um you know on their own using accesses that were available through you know some of the American access points. So really fantastic to see that. So so certainly information technology the hope for expanded mining opportunities um United States has developed really really groundbreaking pun intended uh mining technology and and we hope to be able to bring that to the market um across Kenya. Mhm. Now, as we bring all this to Kenya, the question would also be what does America look for in East Africa and what equally is Kenya looking for from Americans? >> Yeah, that that's a great question. You know, we're in this together as a partnership and so we look for the win-win zone. President Ruto mentioned that this morning in my conversation with him and we're all about partnership and um so we look for the areas and in terms of a ven diagram, you know, what's the intersection of what's good for America and what's good for Kenya and that's the area that we care about. If it's if it's not good for America, we're not interested. If it's not good for Kenya, Kenya shouldn't be interested. And so that is our focusing agent. and um in our transition from you know from aid to trade that's my focusing element is this good for Kenya and America simultaneously and that means we can make a deal and move ahead. >> All right as I let you go sir please let know the delegates um you know the partners the investors that are attending this summit what they should look forward to >> what they should look for at this this particular conference. This is an amazing and exciting assembly of of tech minds of innovators um that have been brought together through like decades of opportunity that the the American Chamber um has brought to the continent and in particular here in Kenya. So I think what we have look to look forward to out of this number one deals you know um but you can't make a deal until you've met the people you want to work with and I think that's what the American Chamber does exceptionally well is introducing American business ventures to Kenyans to build that opportunity for the future together. Thank you. >> All right, Mr. Frank. We get to see what this summit brings forth this year and thank you for talking to us. >> Thank you so much Betty. Appreciate it. All right, take care. Okay, that was Frank Garcia right here on SPM Buzz. Thank you for watching.