Commercial Diplomacy in International Business at Kenya High Commission in Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

This research project was carried out to establish the role of commercial diplomacy in facilitating international business at the Kenya High Commission in Kampala and the challenges they faced. Commercial diplomacy is a new avenue for countries to promote international trade with friendly states. To realize the objectives of the research, a case study was conducted at the Kenya High Commission in Kampala. Data was collected by use of personal interviews with open-ended questions administered to the Assistant Commercial Attaché at the Kenya High Commission in Kampala and a Kenyan investor. The information was presented and discussed as per the objectives and research questions of the study. The researcher employed content analysis to make inferences of the information collected. The findings of the study showed that the Kenya High Commission in Uganda has facilitated international business through a number of ways such as export promotion, import promotion, international relations, advisory and consular services as well as tourism promotion. The study recommends that government through the Kenya High Commission in Uganda should encourage public-private partnerships through investment forums and conferences, they should provide regular reports to investors on the investment climate and investment opportunities available in Kenya and sourcing markets for the Kenyan products.