President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to host the richest man in Asia, Chinese tycoon Jack Ma for two days in Kenya beginning Thursday next week.
Mr Ma, the founder and Chairman of the e-commerce company Alibaba, will meet 500 young leaders at the University of Nairobi in his capacity as the special advisor for youth entrepreneurship and small businesses to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
With a net-worth of Sh3.11 Trillion, Mr Ma is the richest man in his home country of China, in the continent of Asia and the 33rd richest person in the world according to the Forbes List.
[caption caption="Alibaba Founder and Chairman Jack Ma"]
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Mr Ma is an outspoken advocate for the e-commerce industry especially in developing economies.
He is expected to address the subject in his talks in addition to his position that the government should desist from creating regulations and taxes that stunt the industry's growth.
"We should not discipline the baby before even it is born," Mr Ma recently told delegates in Geneva during UNCTAD’s annual E-Commerce Week convention.
Newly re-elected UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi outlined that the visit would also be an opportunity for Mr Ma to collaborate with local businesses.
"UNCTAD will work with Mr Ma to explore opportunities with local businesses to participate in global trade," Dr Mukhisa wrote in a brief on the visit.
The visit will be Mr Ma's inaugural visit to the African continent as well as his first time in Kenya.
