Danish companies looking towards east Africa

The trade and development minister, Mogens Jensen, is currently in Nairobi, Kenya as part of his travels around east Africa promoting Danish business opportunities in the region.

Today he’ll meet with around 60 Danish companies and business people active in an ever-growing, but at times troublesome Kenyan market in which the Danish international development agency Danida has operated for 50 years.

“Our long-term development work with Kenya has helped pave the road for a number of Danish companies,” Jensen said in a press release.

“A close relationship and strong co-operation with the government and individuals alike has been established because of Danida’s presence, which Danish companies have understood how to utilise.”

The minister also took part in an event organised by the newly-established Danske Business Netværk along with companies such as Maersk, Grundfos, Novo Nordisk, Orana and Unumed.

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Security issues
Jensen also met with a couple of young Danish entrepreneurs living in Kenya who have started an African music service called Mdundo – which means ’beat’ in Swahili. Mdundo is a kind of African Spotify that helps Kenyan musicians earn money from their music.

The commercial interest in Kenya has occurred despite an increasing number of armed attacks by the Somali terror organisation Al Shabaab, which was behind the attack on the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi last year where 67 people were killed.

The security situation in the east African region and Denmark’s support to create peace and stabilisation in the area are also on Jensen’s political agenda during his trip.