East African Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (EACCIA) has appointed Richard Ngatia as its president, replacing Toufiq Turkey, whose tenure ended earlier in November.

The new President will lead the EACCIA, which serves as the apex chamber for all the countries that compose the East African Community (EAC) member states.

“I am happy to pass on the baton to Ngatia so that he can facilitate the creation of an atmosphere in which our regional chamber can contribute effectively and efficiently in realising the objective of a trade-led regional integration of East Africa in order to further strengthen our unity,” Tukey said after handing over the baton to Ngatia.

Ngatia is also the chairman of the General Assembly of the Great Lakes Region Private Sector Forum, a position he attained in 2019.

Ngatia served as the president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce (KNCCI) before he lost the position to Erick Rutto.

He took over the leadership of the Kenyan Chamber just before the world plunged into the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the economic status of the business sector in the country but managed to steer the KNCCI into unprecedented successes amid the turmoil.

Through his leadership, Kenya was able to craft many partnerships with foreign countries in the area of corporations, like an expansion of the availability of jobs for Kenyans abroad as well as leveraging the local business strategy even as businesses faced the harsh economic times.

Ngatia serves in the World Chambers Federation (WCF) after he was appointed to the world body for a two-and-a-half-year term effective January 1, 2023.

Ngatia is the first Kenyan to sit on the council of the powerful lobby for trade chambers, with his appointment seen as a major boost to local businesses.

The WFC is a global lobby that draws members from over 100 countries worldwide, with only 20 personalities elected to sit on the WCF council.