About 5,000 delegates and 500 exhibitors are converging at CITAM Karen in Nairobi for the seventh CITAM Business Forum (CBF) Conference and Expo, a four-day gathering from Thursday, October 29, to Sunday, November 1, 2026, themed “A Dream for a Better Africa”, that aims to connect entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers around the continent’s economic future.
The forum is run by the Christ Is The Answer Ministries (CITAM), whose business arm supports entrepreneurs and professionals, and it combines a conference with a trade exposition. Organisers describe it as a platform where small and large businesses can showcase products, find new customers and build partnerships across Kenya and the region.
It has grown steadily. The fifth edition, held at the same venue from June 6 to 9, 2024, drew more than 300 exhibitors and thousands of delegates from Kenya and beyond. Trade and Investment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano opened that event, saying micro, small and medium enterprises are a key pillar of the government’s bottom-up economic agenda and urging participants to take advantage of new market opportunities created by Kenya’s trade deals.
Entrepreneurship expert Prof Ruth Waweru told the forum that small businesses employ the most people in Africa. The 2026 target of 500 exhibitors would be about two-thirds more than the 2024 figure.
For exhibitors, the draw is access to a large and diverse audience over four days, including church members, business owners, corporates and job seekers. For delegates, the forum offers workshops, speaker sessions and networking, with a focus on helping small enterprises grow.
The theme links to a wider conversation on how Africa can use its young population, the African Continental Free Trade Area and local production to create jobs.
The forum comes soon after other large business gatherings in Nairobi this month, including the Africa Commerce and Industry Summit on October 14 to 16, organised by the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which also targeted more than 5,000 delegates.
Organisers invite the public to register online through the forum’s website.
