Theme : Capital and Influence: Reimagining East Africa’s Trade & Investment Agenda in a Fragmented Global Economy
Focus countries: Ethiopia; Mauritius; Rwanda; Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date: 13th October 2025, 9.00 AM–5.00 PM, followed by EAA’s autumn networking drinks.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1427256816559?aff=oddtdtcreator
Background:
Global capital markets are being reshaped by geopolitical realignments, the race for critical minerals, the transition to cleaner energy, and rapid digitalisation. In this environment, capital is no longer neutral; it reflects strategy, politics, and shifting alliances.
Where investors once relied on multilateral finance, commodity cycles, and macro stability, today’s decisions must account for tighter fiscal space, evolving ESG standards, and the implications of strategic alignment.
Across the region, governments are working to de‑risk their macro outlooks, deepen regional integration, and build new trade and energy partnerships while balancing demands for stability, inclusion, and growth. For CEOs, asset managers, and public officials, the question is not whether to engage but how and at what level of risk.
The Eastern Africa Association’s Annual Lecture & Conference convenes institutional investors, fund managers, DFIs, corporates, government leaders, and professional advisers to examine how countries in the region are navigating a more contested global order and how business can position for long‑term opportunity and to examine the complex interplay between finance, trade, energy, and geopolitics, and how this reshapes the way capital is deployed across the region.
The EAA Annual lecture has become a prominent annual event when we pause to reflect, to listen, and to engage with big ideas shaping our region
Join us by registering your interest here:
For more information: info@eaa-lon.co.uk
Agenda
09:30 – 09:35| Lord Valentine Cecil – Chairman, Eastern Africa Association
09:30 – 09:35| Agnes Gitau – Executive Director – UK and EU – Eastern Africa Association Partner – GBS Africa
9.35 – 9.40 Michel Guy Rivalland – Executive Chairman, AXYS
09:45 – 10:10 | Opening Lecture
Prof. Victor Murinde – Executive Director, African Economic Research Consortium
10:10 – 10:45 | Country Roundtables – Davos-Style Format
Theme: How sovereigns and corporates in East Africa are positioning themselves as credible investment destinations at a time when energy diplomacy, critical minerals, and infrastructure corridors carry strategic weight.
This panels looks at investable and bankable projects in each of the featured countries, through an interactive session between governments.
Speakers:
- H.E. Jonston Busingye – Rwanda High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
- H.E. Ambassador Biruk Mekonnen – Ethiopia Ambassador to the United Kingdom
- H.E. Dr. Rajeshwar Jeetah – High Commissioner of Mauritius to the United Kingdom
Moderator: Mr Jeremy Lefroy – Eastern Africa Association Board / Director -EFT Africa Ltd.
10:45 – 11:30 | Networking Break
11:30 – 12:45 | Panel 2: Unlocking Capital – International Financial Centres and the Future of Cross-Border Structuring
As African investment becomes more sophisticated, so too must its structuring. From domiciliation strategies to risk layering and fund design, this panel explores how financial centres can enhance Africa’s access to global pools of long-term capital.
Moderator:
Panelists:
- Alexander Armstrong – Chief Executive Officer, AXYS Group
- Faraz Rojid – Chief Executive Officer, Mauritius Finance
- Elise Donovan – Chief Executive Officer, BVI Finance
- Abi Ajayi – Head of Middle East & Africa, Primary Markets, London Stock Exchange
- Mr. Jean Marie Kananura – Chief Investment Officer, Kigali International Finance Centre
12:45 – 13:00 | Keynote Address
Rt Hon. Sir Stephen O’Brien KBE
Former Under-Secretary-General UN for Humanitarian Affrairs and Emergency Relief and Emergency Relief and former Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for International Development).
13:00 – 14:00 | Networking Lunch
Private lunch meetings for sponsors, dealmakers, and diplomatic delegations available upon request.
14:00 – 15:15 | Panel 3: Natural Resources & Critical Minerals Leverage – Financing Energy, Logistics, and Digital Infrastructure
Our region is rich in resources the world needs: lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and more. To turn natural wealth into national strength, countries must invest in the infrastructure that moves these resources from ground to market, ports, roads, power, and data.
This panel will discuss how resource-endowed countries can transform natural wealth into long-term economic and strategic value.
Moderator: Bilal Sassa –Head of Global Business AXYS
Panelists:
- Cecilia Rague Kaisha – Chief Executive Officer Underwriting, Africa Specialty Ltd
- Ms. Divine H Nakanyange – Head of Marketing and Facilitation Chief Rwanda Development Board
- Meron Tekie Ezra – Chief Executive Officer, Ezra Group Holdings
- Ed Harkins – Managing Director, GKB Ventures
- Declan Galvin – Managing Director, Exigent Risk Advisory
15:45 – 16:15 | Networking Break
16:15 – 17:15 | Final Panel: Capital Compliance, ESG, and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms
As more global capital flows into East Africa, so does greater scrutiny. Investors are under pressure to prove where their money goes and how it’s used. Governments are expected to meet rising standards on transparency, environmental protection, and fair treatment of investors. When disputes arise, the stakes are higher than ever.
This closing panel explores how East African regulators, legal experts, and international investors are navigating growing demands around trust, compliance, and dispute resolution.
Moderator: Kamal Shah – Head of Stephenson Harwood’s Africa and India groups and A member of the Eastern Africa Association Board
Panelists:
- Charles Omanga – Executive Director AXYS
- Wairimu Karanja – Partner & Chief Legal Officer, Persistent Energy
- Thomas De Beule – Board Member, CBL-ACP & Chief Operating Officer, A-Law International Law FirmDr. Bernd Ehle – Partner, LALIVE( Geneva. Zurich, London)
- Ms Opeyemi Abebe – Adviser & Head, Trade Competitiveness Section Commonwealth Secretariat
17:15 – 19.00 | EAA Autumn Networking Drinks (Pre-AFSIC)
Featuring a curated deal room for bilateral meetings with delegations and sponsors.