Kenyan chief executives of companies have prioritised investments in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda as part of their regional expansion plans in the coming years, a new study shows, reflecting the companies’ increasing demand for sovereign risk diversification and revenue expansion opportunities.

 

Latest survey by consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says majority of Kenyan CEOs (54 percent) indicated plans to complete between one and more than four acquisitions in the coming years, reflecting a selective but active approach to expansion.“The top investment destinations for Kenyan CEOs continued to be within the East African region, particularly neighbouring countries Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda,” the survey says.

No plansThe survey however notes that 32 percent of the Kenyan CEOs are not planning any acquisitions over the next three years, reinforcing a strong focus on “running the business” leaving limited room for “building for the future.

The survey which was released on April 23 sampled 4,454 CEOs in 95 counties and territories from September 30 through 10 November 2025. It notes that despite the progress in intra-regional trade, the EAC economies remained heavily reliant on external markets“...strengthening intra-EAC trade and deepening regional economic integration are identified as critical priorities in enabling East African economies to become more self-reliant,” the survey says.

The volume of intra-EAC trade grew by 18.42 percent to $14.33 percent in 2024, with Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda remaining the leading contributors, accounting for more than 70 percent of the total trade.

However, when measured against the bloc’s 50.3 percent surge in external trade, the share of intra-regional trade as a proportion of total trade declined to 11.8 percent, down from 15 percent in 2023, according to the EAC latest Trade and Investment report (2024).

Kenyan CEOs reported that 89 percent of their company’s total revenue was attributable to new products and services introduced over the last three years.

More than half of CEOs (62 percent viewed innovation as a critical component of business strategy and compared with their African and East African counterparts, Kenyan CEOs appear more purpose-driven in leveraging innovation to unlock new growth opportunities for their businesses.

The survey notes that despite maintaining a steady outlook on both the local and global economy and generating a substantial share of revenue from new products and services, Kenyan CEOs, along with their African and East African counterparts, were more cautious when making new investments.“Heightened geopolitical uncertainty prompted CEOs to reassess the scale and likelihood of large, long-term investment decisions,” says survey.“Against this backdrop, 25 percent of Kenyan CEOs reported concerns about whether their innovation capabilities were sufficient to navigate an increasingly uncertain future.”

© Copyright 2026 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).