NAIROBI, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) --Kenya's umbrella body for local entrepreneurs plans to use the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) that opens on Oct. 15 in Guangzhou to source for markets in the Asian nation, an official said on Wednesday.

Richard Ngatia, president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) told Xinhua in Nairobi that preparations are currently underway to constitute a diverse team drawn from the country's business community who can strike lucrative deals that will benefit Kenya.

"We are also prioritizing joint ventures with Chinese industrialists in order to expand Kenya's manufacturing base and enable it to produce competitive goods for both regional and international markets," Ngatia said on the sidelines of the general assembly of the Great Lakes regional private sector forum.

Ngatia said that China has the potential to transform Kenya's small and medium enterprises due to its huge consumer goods market.

"We are hoping to use the Canton Fair to expand both the volume and diversity of products that we sell to China," he added.

KNCCI is seeking to take advantage of the cordial ties between China and Kenya to boost sales of domestic products.

"Kenya has also signed agreements to provide markets access to a number of agricultural products which we can utilize to benefit local farmers," Ngatia said.

According to the trade lobby, Kenya's cottage industries can benefit immensely from modern industrial technology from China.