Kigali — Inadequate space dampened the mood at the 16th Kigali International Trade Fair that opened last week. Many exhibitors failed to get space to showcase their products and services.

The fair that opened July 24th and is expected to run for two weeks will host only 345 exhibitors dropping from 491 exhibitors last year as early booking exhibitors took morethan two stands. The total stands are 707.

"The challenge we have now is space because every year we see demand from exhibitors g to have more than one stands, which is on the other hand tells us that the trade fair has been a success," Hannington Namara, the Private Sector Federation (PSF) chief executive officer, said.

The Fair is hosted on the limited space provided to the Private Sector Federation in Gikondo in Kigali but with no space for expansion.

Namara said the Fair is attracting more exhibitors from the East Africa and the COMESA region,"The high turn up of foreign exhibitors is giving us an opportunity to have more products and services showcased and also provides competition among businesses," he said last week.