East Africa Investor Study Tour East Africa especially Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda has excellent bamboo resources. Based on the INBAR-Tsinghua University remote sensing inventory, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda has about 1.4 million, 150, 000 and 55, 000 hectares of bamboo respectively. This does not include the bamboo that are grown in small holder farms which are the main source of raw materials for the industry. Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda has two indigenous bamboo resources – Yushania alpina (locally known as highland bamboo) and Oxytenanthera abyssinica (locally known as low land bamboo). Dutch-Sino East Africa Bamboo Development Programme aimed at value-chain development, creating enabling environment and bamboo resource development and management is being implemented in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda (2016-2019). The project has achieved good progress in mapping the bamboo resources, property testing of local bamboo species, market and value-chain study, value-chain development, supporting standard agencies to develop standards, developing bamboo policy and strategy, and creating a platform for discussion towards attracting investments, etc and bamboo resource development. In that context, an investors study tour is planned to be organized for potential investors from China, India and Ethiopia; to create linkages with enterprises, and government in beneficiary countries. - To expose the potential of bamboo in East Africa; and investment incentives to investors. - To create linkage between the local enterprises, industry and Investment agencies in respective countries. A total of 9 potential investors participated in the investor tour. Their details are as below (1) Wang Jianqin, General Manager, Ningbo Shilin Arts & Crafts Co., Ltd, China (2) Liu Xiu, Chief Dean and General Secretary, Yongan Institute of Bamboo Industry, China (3) Zeng Weiren, Director, Anji Jiangnan Bamboo Research and Design Center, China (4) Zhu Qianggen, Dean, Lishui University, CHina (5) LIANG XUJUN,Chairman, China-Africa Bamboo-Rattan Industry Alliance Limited, China (6) Krunal G. Negandhi, Director, Jans Bamboo Products Pvt. Ltd, India (7) Dr. Abdel Rahim Hashim, Managing Director, ACE Manufacturers PLC, Ethiopia (8) Addisu Haili, CEO, SA Bamboo PLC, Ethiopia. (9) Capt. Wubishet Geremew Boku, Managing Director, Bohail Trading PLC, Ethiopia In Kenya, the potential investors are exposed to the highland bamboo forest located in Ragia, the Aberdare range, which hosts about 50, 000 hectares of bamboo forests. In addition, the potential investors are also exposed to bamboo research plot in KEFRI – Muguga which hosts about 10 introduced bamboo species; and to KEFRI research and demonstration centre (Karura) which has machines and facilities for research, testing and trailing for production of bamboo parquet floor, laminated lumber, bamboo stick based and energy produced. Following the field visits, a half day workshop with participation of all key stakeholders was organised. A total of 28 participants with representation from KEFRI, Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Presidential Strategic and Policy Unit, Kenya Investment Authority (Ken-Invest), Kenya Water Towers Agency, Kenya National Cleaner Production Centre, BIDCO, Green Pot Enterprises (GPE), Homelime Co. Ltd, Kenya Bamboo Association (KBA), Moon Light Initiative, Eco-Green, Back to Basics (B2B) and others participated in the workshop. In Uganda, the potential investors were exposed to large scale bamboo plantation undertaken by NFA and Dutch-Sino East Africa Bamboo Development Programme in Zirimiti. In addition, meeting and exposure to Uganda Industrial Research Institute’s (UIRI) bamboo research facility, Namave Industrial park was organised. Following that, a half day workshop was organised with participation of 37 participants from Ministry of Water and Environment (WoWE), Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, National Forestry Authority (NFA), Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), Ministry of Trade Industries and Cooperatives (MoTIC), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Nile Ply Ltd, Divine Bamboo, Mhaginga cultural center, Friends of Bamboo, Your Choice Bamboo Tooth picks, BVU Propagation, AW Bamboo Enterprises, Elgon Naturals, Boogali Bikes (U) Ltd, Egrets Eco-Conservation Estates (EEE Ltd), Eco ways (U) Ltd, Albatroos Safaris, Bamboo Village, and UBRE project. In Ethiopia, the participants of investor tour were exposed to facilities at Eastern Industrial Park, at Debrazit, bamboo factory of SA Bamboo PLC (Addis Ababa) and Bamboo Star Agro-Forestry PLC (Assosa), research and training facilities at Federal small, micro, medium industrial Development Agency (FeSMMIDA), natural bamboo forests at Assosa and INBAR multi-species trial plot in Assosa. During the half day workshop, a total of 40 participants, representatives from Ethiopian Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission (EEFCC), Ethiopian Investment Authority (EIA), Ethiopian Tourism and Trading Enterprise (ETTE), Chinese Embassy, GIZ, IKEA, Ethiopian Standards Agency, Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development (EIABC), Amhara Forest Enterprise, (FeSMMIDA), and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Adal Industries PLC, CEE, Bohail Trading company PLC, Bamboo Star PLC, Lelena Global PLC, SA Bamboo PLC, and Victory A PLC participanted.